Progress have been reportedly made in efforts to make St Louis, Missouri an air cargo hub for the China trade as the Midwest-China Hub Commission announces negotiations with China Cargo Airline.
    Commission chairman Mike Jones said that while much work remains, the decision suggests that there is considerable interest in selecting St Louis as a hub, reports the St Louis Post-Dispatch. The commission was formed in 2009 and is a public-private collaboration among St Louis region, the state government and business leaders.
    The commission is waiting for Chinese officials to pick an airline to begin final negotiations with Lambert-St Louis International Airport on starting flights.
    Hub officials have been getting good signals from the Chinese about cargo flights. Mr Jones said he expects word on an airline - three visited St Louis in the autumn - in the first quarter of this year, with flights to begin by summer.
    Airport director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said the purpose is more than landing a few flights a week at Lambert, it is developing a broad cargo and logistics industry around the airport and trade between the US and China.
    Ms Hamm-Niebruegge said she sees potential for trade not just with China but also with South America, and for positioning Lambert as a key link between Asia and South America.
    "If you first get the Chinese piece to start, it will just grow," she said.

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