Xiamen, Wellington strengthen sister city ties

Xiamen Vice-mayor Han Jingyi extended a warm welcome to professor Grant Guilford, the vice-chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington, one of New Zealand's oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions, on July 5.

The coastal city in East China's Fujian province is a sister city of Wellington, and the two cities have long maintained frequent exchanges and close cooperation. For instance, Xiamen University and Victoria University of Wellington have conducted exchanges related to education, culture, and innovation, according to Han.

Han expressed his eagerness to build broader cooperation with Wellington, as this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of sister city ties between the two cities. Xiamen and the New Zealand capital will also host a series of activities in celebration of the anniversary.

Professor Guilford gave Han a brief introduction of his university and its cooperation with Xiamen University during the meeting. The Confucius Institute at the Victoria University of Wellington, jointly built by the two universities, was honored as an "advanced Confucius Institute" by the Office of Chinese Language International Council in 2015.

Guilford said that both cities' municipal governments put great emphasis on Xiamen-Wellington's sister city relationship. Wellington's new mayor, Justin Lester, is scheduled to visit Xiamen in November, while a delegation from Xiamen will visit Wellington to attend the Second China-New Zealand Mayor Forum in December.

The two visits will help further deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two cities, according to the vice-chancellor.

Han Jingyi (right), vice-mayor of Xiamen, speaks with Victoria University of Wellington Vice-Chancellor Grant Guilford (left) in Xiamen, Fujian province on July 5, 2017. [Photo/ xmfo.gov.cn]