Labor leaders from St. Louis and Kansas City were included among the business, civic and political leaders who met last week for dinner with Gov. Jay Nixon and the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Zhou Wenzhong at the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City. From left are: Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562 Business Manager Pat Kellett, St. Louis Labor Council President Bob Soutier, Ambassador Zhou, Gov. Nixon, Jerry Feldhaus, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council; and Gary Kemp, Executive Vice President of the Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council.
UPI/Bill Greenblatt Photo
Jefferson City—A gateway to the west for two centuries, St. Louis now wants to be a gateway to China and organized labor is going along for the ride.
When Gov. Jay Nixon hosted a dinner last week at the Governor’s Mansion for Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Zhou
Wenzhong, there were several union leaders in attendance along with business leaders and other state and local officials.
The dinner was held to strengthen a growing relationship with China among Missouri and St. Louis leaders who are trying to create a trading relationship with China for exports and imports at Lambert Field and new economic development on several hundred acres of undeveloped land near the airport.
Nixon said the vision for the trading hub would affect many other parts of Missouri and much of the Midwest, with cargo moving in and out of St. Louis either going to China or coming from China.
“This will create jobs quickly with the shipping in and out and lay a foundation for long-term growth and transformation,” he said.
Ambassador Zhou made a point of letting everyone know the Chinese wanted a good relationship with unions. He even asked Hugh McVey, the president of the Missouri AFL-CIO, to help him get to know more of the general presidents and other union leaders in Washington.
McVey said the ambassador seemed impressed with the medical centers and universities in the St. Louis area and indicated the Chinese would be interested in learning more about health care and educational exchanges that could be developed.
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562 Business Manager Pat Kellett, who also was at the dinner, said he was encouraged by the ambassador’s interest in the project.
“This is one of the few bright spots in our region to create thousands of new jobs that will eventually create spinoffs for manufacturing, education, healthcare and other commercial and industrial investments. It could be the catalyst for an economic rebirth of the St. Louis region,” Kellett said.
At a news conference before the meeting, Zhou said he was confident the trading hub would become a reality.
“ I am confident because it has the strong political will needed from both sides,” Zhou said. “I am confident because we have seen a solid foundation for further cooperation. I am confident because there are good opportunities ahead.”
Jason Van Eaton, executive director of a commission that is spearheading the effort, told the Labor Tribune that efforts by McVey and Kellett had been valuable in gaining support for the project among public officials and other labor leaders.
Civic and political support is important to the Chinese, he said, in addition to expressions of interest from the business community.
A study for the commission concluded that a China hub would expand trade and cultural, scientific and medical exchanges in eight key areas that would lead to economic development and jobs. Those are:
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