Will trip to China help solve California budget dispute?

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Could overseas travel help state lawmakers break the partisan gridlock in Sacramento?

That possibility was raised by comments from Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), who noted that he and new Senate Republican leader Bob Huff recently spent time together visiting China and Vietnam on state business.

‘It was very valuable, and we really got to know one another,’ Steinberg said after Huff was elected Republican leader last week.

Huff, a Diamond Bar resident, joined Steinberg and other state lawmakers Nov. 2-16 in a trip hosted by the Jiangsu Provincial Congress, the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, the National Assembly of Vietnam and the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco.

The delegation met with leaders in business, industry and government, according to Steinberg spokesman Mark Hedlund. The host countries covered the cost of lodging, ground transportation and most meals, Hedlund said.

It remains to be seen whether the travel companions will now be able to overcome differences over the pending state budget.

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-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento