G******t
发帖数: 1782 | 1 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870411540457609631
By LAUREN ETTER
WOODRIDGE, Ill.—After Hu Jintao's four-day American visit, from an official
state dinner at the White House to an ornate welcome in Chicago, the
Chinese president made his final stopover in this small town with much less
fanfare.
The quiet suburban village of 35,000 west of Chicago showed barely any
evidence of the president's presence. Several local businesspeople said they
didn't even know he was here.
"Are you sure he's in Woodridge?" asked a receptionist at the Pabst Brewing
Co. office here. The local newspaper, the Woodridge Bugle, made no mention
of the town's worldly guest.
Town leaders tried to keep Mr. Hu's visit hush-hush for security reasons,
said Michael J. Mays, Woodridge Director of Community Development. Local
officials "wanted to not reveal his visit until afterward," he said.
That was in stark contrast to the Chinese president's stops in Chicago. On
Thursday, he arrived in the Windy City and made his way to the downtown
Hilton for a dinner with Mayor Richard M. Daley.
He was greeted at the hotel by hundreds of Chinese students enrolled at
schools across the Midwest, waving big red Chinese flags and dancing in
golden dragon costumes. Protesters waving Tibetan flags and chanting for
Tibet's independence from China also were there.
On Friday morning, he visited the Walter Payton College Preparatory High
School, a school on the city's north side well known for having a strong
Chinese-language program.
He and Mayor Daley then traveled to a Woodridge business park where they
toured exhibits of Chinese companies with ties to the Midwest, including
Chicago-based Wanxiang America Corp., an auto-parts maker. Mr. Daley said
Chicago and the Midwest want to be a "gateway" for Chinese commerce in the U
.S.
Mr. Hu decided to visit Woodridge only within the last two weeks, partly
because of a connection between Wanxiang America and Bridge Development
Partners, a Chicago-based office-warehouse developer with several properties
in Woodridge.
"We're very excited," said Steve Poulos, partner at Bridge Development. The
Chinese "are actually bringing jobs here and manufacturing in the Midwest,
which is exactly what everybody wants and needs."
Mid-sized towns like Woodridge see big business-development opportunities in
courting Chinese companies. Thursday, a Chinese delegation in Chicago
oversaw the signing of 10 soybean purchase agreements totaling $1.8 billion
between Chinese importers and U.S. exporters, including Cargill Inc., Archer
Daniels Midland Co. and Bunge North America.
"Not only is China the world's largest market for Illinois soybeans, but it
is also still a growth market, with demand steadily increasing," said Ron
Moore, chairman of the Illinois Soybean Association.
Woodridge is known for its 10 million square feet of office space and nine
business parks. The village markets itself as a haven for companies that
want to take advantage of the comparatively low sales tax rate of 7.75%—
compared to Chicago's 9.75%—and the area's proximity to major expressways
that ease distribution.
"Woodridge has a very friendly pro-business environment," said Woodridge
Mayor William F. Murphy.
The Woodridge police were tasked with coordinating with Secret Service and
the State Department to ensure a safe visit for Mr. Hu.
"It was a really big deal for us," said Steve Herron, chief of police at the
Woodridge Police Department. "We've never had the president of China come
into town before. Barack Obama hasn't even been here."
Write to Lauren Etter at l**********[email protected] | p*********w
发帖数: 23432 | 2 不错
official
less
they
Brewing
【在 G******t 的大作中提到】
: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870411540457609631
: By LAUREN ETTER
: WOODRIDGE, Ill.—After Hu Jintao's four-day American visit, from an official
: state dinner at the White House to an ornate welcome in Chicago, the
: Chinese president made his final stopover in this small town with much less
: fanfare.
: The quiet suburban village of 35,000 west of Chicago showed barely any
: evidence of the president's presence. Several local businesspeople said they
: didn't even know he was here.
: "Are you sure he's in Woodridge?" asked a receptionist at the Pabst Brewing
| m******d
发帖数: 190 | 3 为什么来这么个小镇。除了万向还有什么大公司要来吗？布什的时候大家都德州发展经
济，现在芝加哥了。是不是中西部地区是在没什么可以去的。大家说说，哪里比
woodridge值得Hu 总去？ | k******a
发帖数: 2436 | 4 woodridge 有个中国企业展览。
【在 m******d 的大作中提到】
: 为什么来这么个小镇。除了万向还有什么大公司要来吗？布什的时候大家都德州发展经
: 济，现在芝加哥了。是不是中西部地区是在没什么可以去的。大家说说，哪里比
: woodridge值得Hu 总去？
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