CAPE LINKS WITH SHAOXING, CHINA

With hopes for a relationship "as long as the Mississippi and Yangtze rivers," Lu Zhiqiang signed a document Monday making Cape Girardeau and Shaoxing sister cities.

Lu is former mayor and current adviser of the Chinese city. He and three other delegates arrived in Cape Girardeau on Sunday, making this the third time a Shaoxing delegation has been here.

Cape Girardeau Mayor Al Spradling III and members of the City Council attended the Sister City Agreement signing, gathering on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

Spradling signed the agreement for the city, designating Shaoxing as Cape Girardeau's first sister. The agreement provides for exchanges in the areas of economy, trade, culture, education, science, technology and construction.

"As you know, Cape Girardeau is a very progressive, diverse community, and we are very proud of it," Spradling said. "We're also proud to have Shaoxing join with us and add to the culture and diversity we have here."

Through an interpreter, Lu complimented Cape Girardeau's beauty and said he hoped for many shared experiences over a long relationship.

"Shaoxing is a window for you to understand Chinese history and China's present condition," he said. "We can make exchanges in economy and culture. We especially invite the businessmen from this region to trade and invest in our region."

He also invited Cape Girardeau delegates to attend a sister city conference scheduled in Shaoxing in late November. Cape Girardeau is one of seven of Shaoxing's sister cities, with the others in Japan, Denmark and France.

The Chinese delegation's visit provided a taste of home for Cape Girardeau resident John Cai. He is a Shaoxing native, and some members of his family still live there.

Cai came to Cape Girardeau in 1992, going to work as a cook for his uncle, who owns the Golden Dragon restaurant. Cai then opened his own restaurant, China Palace.

He attended Monday's event, which reminded him why he came to the United States.

"I wanted to learn a new life," he said, "but I am really happy to see people from Shaoxing."

Local industrial recruiter Mitch Robinson said the next step is to send delegates to the sister city conference in November.

"We need to work with the state to encourage trade," he said. "Missouri has a really active international trade department, and we need to look at forming sister city relationships elsewhere, particularly in Japan and Germany."

Shaoxing, population 300,000, was established 2,500 years ago. It is 125 miles south of Shanghai, China's biggest industrial and commercial city.

Shaoxing has more than 10,000 industrial enterprises, covering the fields of clothing, food packaging, textiles, electrical machinery, construction materials, plastics, steel, leather and medical products.