St. Louis Still Engaged In Courtship With China
FOX2now.com
June 24, 2011
By George Sells
Supporters of St. Louis' efforts to lure Chinese businesses and a potential air hub to the area say there are new signs of life to their campaign, despite a funding setback in the Missouri legislature.
A delegation of Chinese biotech and clean energy businessmen spent a good part of Friday touring St. Louis facilities. Among the group, one man who is in the process of moving his family to St. Louis. Those trying to move the relationships with China forward say that's the ultimate evidence that the Chinese are still serious about being here.
He could be sort of a beach head for other Chinese companies that are looking for investment in the United States," Steve Johnson from the Regional Chamber and Growth Association said Friday.
This latest activity comes at the same time that optimism is returning regarding the Aerotropolis legislation in Jefferson City designed to fund the air cargo component of the trade effort.
Earlier in the week State Senator Brett Lager, a Republican from Savannah, said he saw the odds as 60-40 in favor of a special session being called to pass funding for the venture that never made it through the regular session.
Johnson says he's not a betting man, but he's heartened by Lager's assessment of the odds.
"We're cautiously optimistic that the legislature can get to 'yes' on the issues that divided them at the end of the session. Keep in mind, the issues that divided them had nothing to do with Aerotropolis."
The Chinese delegation that was here Friday is not directly involved with the cargo talks, but they would certainly be impacted. And they're clearly watching the political developments here. They were briefed on the progress of the Aerotropolis project by Mayor Francis Slay and U.S. Senator Roy Blunt Friday morning.
Through a translator, China Investment Promotion Agency Deputy Director Yu Hua told FOX 2 that progress on the cargo front can only help other business opportunities.
"From our own point of view, we are of course, strongly supportive, and any direct flight between China and St. Louis is going to really contribute dearly to bilateral trade and the business relationship."
Johnson says the business visits and the hub project are separate, but clearly related.
It absolutely folds in. The whole initiative related to China that we've been pursuing for four years has two legs. One is about air cargo and those are the conversations that are getting the most press. The other is a business to business approach.
While in the area the group toured HOK Architecture, the recently-announced Gallus BioPharma, the Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Laboratory at Washington University, and the Consortium for Clean Coal Technology at Washington University.
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