First official visit from Friendly City - Dignitaries from Xiamen visit Richmond
September 19, 2008
City dignitaries from Xiamen, Fujian Province, China began their first official visit to Richmond today, after the two cities signed a Friendly Cooperation Agreement in April 2008. A delegation of five officials has accompanied Xiamen Mayor Liu Cigui on the two-day visit to the Lower Mainland, organized and hosted by the City of Richmond’s Sister City Committee.
Mayor Malcolm Brodie warmly welcomed the delegation to City Hall in a brief ceremony in the Council Chambers Friday afternoon. “We’re honoured to welcome Mayor Liu and our other guests from Xiamen,” said Mayor Brodie, “and look forward to strengthening the ties between the two cities. Our trip to Xiamen was informative as well as inspiring, and we hope that Mayor Liu and our honourable guests find Richmond equally hospitable and stimulating.” The mayors discussed the similarities between the two cities and sustainability programs, such as Xiamen’s Green Bus initiative.
The goals of this visit include fostering economic development opportunities and enhancing arts and cultural exchange.
The delegation was hosted at lunch by YVR and Tourism Richmond and toured Steveston earlier in the day. They will attend a dinner tonight jointly hosted by Mayor Brodie and Council, the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the Xiamen Friendship Association. They also plan to visit Vancouver on Saturday prior to departure on Sunday.
About Xiamen, Friendly City to Richmond
In April 2008, the City of Richmond signed two Friendly Cooperation Agreements with cities in China: Xiamen and Qingdao. Xiamen, located on the south east coast of China in Fujian province, is an island city of more than 2.4 million people and is one of the major economic centres in China. Like Richmond, Xiamen is known for its high-tech industry as well as agricultural and seafood products and shipbuilding. It has been a major seaport since ancient times and was named one of China’s most livable cities.
