Douglas County commissioners think it might be a good idea to have some friends in China given that the 1.3-billion-person country is becoming one of the world’s dominant economic forces.

Commissioners on Monday agreed to study the possibility of creating a sister county relationship with the 800,000-person Jiaxiang County between Beijing and Shanghai.

“You can’t wake up to the world and ignore China,” County Commissioner Bob Johnson said. “You simply can’t.”

Commissioners are studying the request after Lawrence-based communication consultant Cal Downs recommended the idea. Downs, who works with international companies wanting to establish a presence in China, said some of his Chinese associates had mentioned the idea of a sister county relationship.

“I can tell you that there are a lot of Chinese with a lot of money,” Downs said. “I have been approached by a lot of people wanting to come here just to look for investment opportunities.”

Lawrence has sister city relationships with two foreign municipalities – Eutin, Germany, and Hiratsuka, Japan. The concept for Douglas County would be the same. But Douglas County Commission Chairman Charles Jones said he would like any county relationship to have a strong business emphasis.

“My inclination would be to look at this as an economic development program,” Jones said, although he said there would be cultural benefits as well.

The proposal didn’t come without concerns. Commissioner Jere McElhaney said he was open to the idea but wondered whether China was the best country for a partnership.

“They probably have one of the worst histories in terms of human rights,” McElhaney said. “They have a large economy, in part, because of a suppressed workforce. We’re not here to encourage that sort of thing.”

Downs said he didn’t think a sister county program would condone any human rights abuses. He also said he believed personal freedom was on the increase in China.

“There are a lot of changes going on,” Downs said.

County Administrator Craig Weinaug estimated that it would cost about $2,000 to $3,000 per year for the county to maintain a sister county program. Weinaug, though, said on years where the county wanted to send a delegation to China, the expense would be significantly more. He estimated it would cost about $2,000 per person to travel to China.

Commissioners agreed to host a more detailed discussion on the idea during a future Wednesday night agenda. Jones said he would like a representative of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, a member of the county’s agriculture community, a state economic development representative, and someone from Kansas University to discuss the potential of a sister relationship.