U.S. Senators Bond and McCaskill Report on Progress
Contact: Nancy Schnoebelen
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
314.615.7617, nschnoebelen@slcec.com
ST. LOUIS, September 8, 2010--Last week, United States Senators Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill led a delegation of government, business and civic leaders along with the Midwest-China Hub Commission back to Beijing and Shanghai. The Senators held the most recent of several meetings with the Vice Premier of China, Wang Qishan, who continued to express support for this project. A highlight of the trip came with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and the China Air Transport Association (CATA).
This MOU signaled the deepening commitment of the Chinese toward this new air freight trade route -- a route that will provide new markets for Midwestern produced goods. Agreement was reached on a path forward for future negotiations. The CATA will send a delegation to St. Louis in October that will include representatives from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and four Chinese airlines that have demonstrated an interest in St. Louis operations.
"St. Louis has long been known as the Gateway to the West, but after our successful trip to China, I'm confident we can make this city the Gateway to the East, creating new jobs for Missourians and new markets for our products," said U.S. Senator Kit Bond. "If the progress we made on this trip continues, next year we will be celebrating the first of many Midwest-China Hub flights that will fuel the jobs of the future in the Heartland."
"China has a growing middle class, and this has the potential to be a huge market for American exports," McCaskill said. "This trip was about tapping into this market and making sure St. Louis is a hub for the Midwest's exports, and we made real progress in advancing these goals."
The Senator-led delegation consisted of local state, and federal officials as well as Midwest China Hub Commission board members, civic, academic, organized labor and business leaders. Stephen Perry of the London Export Company and Chairman of the 48 Group Club played a key role in guiding the delegations efforts. The delegation met with the Civil Aviation Administration of China, CATA, Chinese airlines, as well as government entities such as the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Shanghai Municipal Government, among others.
"The strength of this delegation lies in the breadth of its support. We saw business leaders joining labor officials; Democrats working with Republicans, a testament to the potential impact of this project for the St. Louis region," said Commission Chairman Mike Jones. "We appreciate the time and effort these regional leaders have committed to such an important endeavor for the region."
The underlying mission of the delegation's trip to China is to strengthen economic ties with Chinese government officials and business leaders to create new markets for Midwestern goods in China. Members of the delegation met with the All China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). A business delegation led by the ACFIC will visit St. Louis in November. The hope is that continued business level interactions will yield opportunities for area businesses to expand trading relationships and develop new product markets.
About the Midwest-China Hub Commission
The Midwest-China Hub Commission, known as "The Big Idea," is a public-private collaboration among St. Louis and Missouri governmental officials and business associates working together to establish an economic partnership with China. Formed in 2009, the Commission proposes that the St. Louis region become China's primary gateway into the American heartland through dedicated cargo flights connecting the Midwest U.S. with China.
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