Xiamen mayor attends 2nd China-New Zealand Mayor Forum

2017-12-15

A delegation led by Zhuang Jiahan, mayor of Xiamen, paid a visit to Wellington, capital of New Zealand, to attend the Second China-New Zealand Mayoral Forum from Dec 3 to 4.

 

Under the theme of "Sustainable Economies - Balancing Economic Development with the Environment", this year's forum gathered 12 mayors from China and 15 mayors from New Zealand.

 

Zhuang delivered a speech at the opening ceremony and another at the forum's "Tourism Cooperation and Innovation" seminar. He pledged that Xiamen will continue to share development opportunities and strengthen pragmatic cooperation with other cities to contribute to the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership.

 

This mechanism, launched on 21 Nov 2014, provides a platform for peer-to-peer exchanges for China and New Zealand mayors to discuss issues of mutual interest and to strengthen practical cooperation and enhance friendship. The first forum held in Xiamen, China in 2015 produced tangible outcomes for mayors from both countries.

 

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and New Zealand, and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of sister city ties between Xiamen and Wellington.

 

At the invitation of Wellington Mayor Justin Lester, the Xiamen mayor visited the Wellington municipal government for talks. The two mayors agreed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in sectors such as education, healthcare, culture, art, trade, tourism, urban construction, industrial development, and environmental protection to usher in a new era for the sister city relationship.

 

Zhuang also attended a photography exhibition highlighting the development achievements of those ties. He also met with persons in charge of the City Council of Wellington, and representatives of the Xiamen people's association for friendship with foreign countries in Wellington, the University of Victoria, and the Confucius Institute.

 

The Xiamen mayor also held talks with officials of the municipal government of Auckland, a famously livable city in New Zealand, and visited the city's urban renovation projects. Zhuang expressed his willingness to learn from Auckland's experiences in city planning and improving people's livelihoods.

 

[ Web editor:Wu Jianhan, Robin Wang    Source:chinadaily.com.cn ]