NOV. 16, 2009 — By the time keynote speaker David Sanger waxed about his new book, the Obama administration’s performance, Afghanistan and nuclear proliferation, it was hard to see how he would connect Charleston into the talk at Thursday’s 2009 annual lunch of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance.

But he did. And that’s probably why he’s the chief Washington correspondent for The New York Times.

Sanger outlined how in today’s global economy, the United States may be the remaining superpower, but other economies are rising — and having big influences here because of the money they lend to prop up our way of life. These days, for example, the Chinese want to know details about the public option in the U.S. health care debate. Why? Because they may end up loaning us the money to fuel health care for all.

Such international inquiry and influence into what once would have been a domestic issue will continue, Sanger said. And therefore Boeing — and by extension Charleston – will experience more international forays by other powers that may impact business here.

Here’s how: If China and the U.S.- – or Korea and the U.S, or some other country and us — get into a tiff about something completely unrelated to airplanes, the people who make plane orders with Boeing might decide to stop business with the American company — or to curtail involvement briefly, which could hurt jobs here and Seattle. So Boeing, a plane maker, kind of has to have its own foreign policy to turn back business threats, Sanger explained.

Bottom line: Other countries, like China, are going to have more leverage with trade issues beyond mere trade agreements. And now that Charleston is on a front line of the trade game thanks to Boeing’s increased presence, businesses here are “going to have a front row view into how the global political game is played,” Sanger said.

Beyond what Sanger told hundreds about the global economy was a completely different message by the CRDA that rang loud and clear at the luncheon: With the increasing sophistication of global trade in the Charleston market, the leadership offered by the CRDA is a key to the area’s future successes.

Over the last few months, the organization has retooled to involve private businesses significantly in what once was an economic development agency that trolled for new jobs mostly on behalf of local governments. Thanks to the CRDA’s new alliance with about 50 leading area businesses, the organization now is stronger and able to speak with a unified voice to attract growth to the tri-county area.

The news out of the luncheon was outstanding. First, Sanger highlighted how Charleston has become a bigger player in the global economy, which should have spin-off benefits throughout the community. And second, because the CRDA is a more diverse, stronger group of business leaders, we will tell our story in better and new ways that should make us even more successful down the road.

Andy Brack is publisher of CharlestonCurrents.com and StatehouseReport.com.