Area economic development officials are wrapping up plans to send a Cape Girardeau delegation to Shaoxing, China, in May to establish cultural and economic trade with the Asian city.

Last April Cape Girardeau businessman Peter Choi, a native of Shaoxing, asked the city council to establish a "sister city" business program with the Chinese city.

Some of the potential benefits of the program cited by Choi include trade and student exchange between the two cities. Also, local manufacturers would be better able to market their products in China through the program.

Choi said recent economic reform in China has made the "sister city" concept possible.

Shaoxing, a city of about 300,000 people in South China, has a market for foreign products including cement, lumber, raw steel, automobile parts, plastics, recycling products, medicine, ginseng and used manufacturing equipment.

The city council agreed to appoint a committee to organize a delegation to Shaoxing. Walt Wildman, director of the area Regional Commerce and Growth Association in Cape Girardeau, was chairman of the committee.

"Much of the trip will be ceremonial in nature," Wildman said. "But once we get past the ceremonial part, this is a formal way of establishing relations with a city in China.

"Rather than just writing the mayor of Shaoxing and inquiring about business opportunities there, this will provide a formal link between the cities of Shaoxing and Cape Girardeau."

The five-member official delegation will include Sheila Caskey, representing Southeast Missouri State University; Cape Girardeau City Councilman Melvin Kasten, representing the city and chamber of commerce; Rep. Mary Kasten, representing the state of Missouri along with Kevin Chambers, foreign affairs representative for the Missouri Department of Economic Development; and Mitch Robinson, representing the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association.

Wildman said the group now is soliciting businessmen who might be interested in making the trip.

"We're looking at a maximum of 15 people for the trip, which would include participation from the public," he said.

Each delegate will be responsible for paying his own air fare, while transportation, food and lodging will be provided by the Shaoxing hosts. The city will not finance any part of the trip.

"The only obligation we'll have is that when the city of Shaoxing returns here for a reciprocal visit, we will be responsible for the same things," Wildman said. "Our plans are to raise money to do that, so that it will be done through contributions and not tax funds.

The Cape Girardeau delegation is scheduled to arrive in China on May 17 for a weeklong visit.

Wildman said he anticipates the trip will yield trade prospects between the cities.

"We see it as something that will cause at least an opportunity for business to increase in a very general way," he said. "This will give us the method of exchange for cultural and economic trade.

City Manager J. Ronald Fischer said the sister city program is a way for Cape Girardeau businesses to possibly benefit from China's recent policies easing foreign trade.

In a translated letter sent to the city earlier this year, Zhimei Zhang, governor and mayor of Shaoxing, urged the concept. "I am very hopeful we can work together to develop economic, trade, culture and educational exchange," Zhang said.

Fischer said China's trade markets are "wide open right now."

"The Missouri Department of Economic Development people are putting a good deal of time into relations with China," he said. "I would envision possibly some local business entrepreneurs getting involved there, and also folks in Shaoxing looking at setting up some type of business here.

"Just the fact that you've got somebody you know over there and they know you is a good start."

Choi has said there are at least two Chinese firms interested in moving operations to Cape Girardeau if a trading agreement is reached.

"China is not exactly racing into the 21st century in terms of trade and commerce, but they are coming pretty fast into the 20th century," said Wildman. "It's our feeling that the sheer numbers of people in China are going to demand a lot of goods as their leaders begin to open the country up for trade."

Wildman said the development of a worldwide marketplace for goods requires the types of relations that he hopes will evolve from the delegation to Shaoxing.

"This one trip is not something that's going to achieve that, but it does start that process," he said.

Anyone interested in joining the delegation can contact Gayle Conrad, deputy city clerk, at 334-1212. The deadline for setting the delegation is March 1.

"We're opening it up for the businessmen who might want to look into establishing some type of trade in China," Wildman said. "Most of what we will see will be the industrial and commercial aspects of life in Shaoxing."