【時報訊】聖路易中國空港炒熱中國風，聖路易市市長Francis Slay再次走訪中國，更掀起聖路易各界對中國之興趣。2009年成立之聖路易市市辦之「聖路易語言學校」(St. Louis Language Immersion School)原本祗教授法文和西班牙文，現在也考慮是否要加入中文教學，這是推動中國空港大設想之意外收獲。
聖路易市與中國其實早有歷史淵源。據市長室表示，早在1904年聖路易舉行世界博覽會之時，當時的中國(清朝)就派有一位皇子及一位耶魯大學受教育之王公大臣到聖路易出席世界博覽會，當時建造的中國閣和中國館，據說是當時最受歡迎之參觀景點之一。
聖路易市則是中國未開放、中美未建交之前，第一個與中國城市締結姐妹市的美國城市。聖路易市與中國南京市在1979年締結為姐妹市，去年十月兩市更熱烈慶祝締結姐妹市三十週年。
聖路易語言學校成立於2009年，目前祗教授法文和西班牙文，招收幼稚園到一年級學生，將來會擴充至五年級學生，由於中國熱興起，聖路易市市政府有意徵詢市民之意見該校是否加入中文課程，如果您想表達支持之意，請登上市長網站MayorSlay.com，參加民意調查，表達意見，這份民意調查不祗詢問市民中文教育意見，同時詢問市民有關中美關係、現在與未來發展及中國空港之意見，歡迎您上網參加民意調查。
China In St. Louis
Mayor Francis Slay, Lambert Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, and a delegation of local and state officials are headed back to China last week as members of the Midwest/China Commission continue their efforts to make St. Louis a center of China's Midwest trade. Reflecting a relatively unusual coordination of the region's public and private assets, the idea of a cargo hub - a location near Lambert that would be a headquarters for Chinese companies operating in the central United States and a port for Midwestern companies exporting high-value goods to China through Lambert - has made important progress over the past couple of years.
Beyond pitching strong markets, good exports (Missouri sent more than $1 billion of goods to China in 1997), central geography, world-class research facilities, well-developed rail/river/road infrastructure, and affordability, the St. Louis delegation can certainly mention some history. The 1904 World's Fair here was China's first major appearance as a modern nation. According to The New York Times, the Chinese dispatched a royal prince and a Yale-educated senior official to establish a major presence in St. Louis. The Chinese Pavilion and Exhibition Hall were generally considered to be among the grandest and most visited of the Fair's many wonders. |
