Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland says her recent trip to Asia was meant to boost foreign investment in the city, but critics say it shows she supports a now-canceled Chinese company’s proposal for a methanol plant at the Port of Tacoma.
The News Tribune reports Strickland took the city-funded trip to Vietnam and China earlier this month. She says she spent time with Chinese government officials and investors who are considering supporting development projects in Tacoma.
But residents criticized Strickland, saying it shows she’s siding with the Chinese company behind the once-proposed methanol facility. Strickland maintains that the project was not discussed during her trip.
Chinese investors are currently backing $275 million in development projects in Tacoma’s downtown.