Mobay, Zhuhai sign twin city partnership
MONTEGO BAY, St James
The city of Montego Bay has formed a sister city relationship with the city of Zhuhai, China. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was officially signed on Saturday, during a virtual ceremony, which was broadcasted live on the St James Municipal Corporation’s Facebook page.
This signing marks the city of Montego Bay’s third sister city relationship with cities in China, Hangzhou and Yiwu being the others.
This relationship “is expected to bring significant technical and trading benefits, to both Montego Bay and Zhuhai,” said mayor of Montego Bay and chairman of the St James Municipal Corporation, Councillor Leeroy Williams.
“Significant benefits, exchanges and cooperation are expected to come to both cities in areas such as trade, tourism, economic, sports, among others. The city of Montego Bay continues to share a wonderful relationship with China and in particular Hangzhou and Yiwu. As mayor, I am looking forward to both cities reaping great benefits from this relationship, as we push to build our capacities and make our respective locations stronger,” Mayor Williams said, in a statement released by the St James Municipal Corporation.
Mayor Williams also paid tribute to the chairman of China/montego Bay Sister City Committee, Yangsen Li, for what he described as, “tireless work being done to maintain the relationships already in place and the establishment of this new one.”
In attendance to the virtual signing were Williams, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang, minister of state in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Homer Davis; chairman of the Civic and Community Affairs Committee at the St James Municipal Corporation, Councillor Dwight Crawford; and vice-chairman of the Fujian Association of Jamaica, Li and vice mayor of Zhuhai, Chong Li, who joined virtually, among other members of the Chinese community.
Zhuhai, which translates to “pearl sea”, is a prefecture-level city, located on the west bank of Pearl River estuary, on the central coast of southern Guangdong province, People’s Republic of China.
Zhuhai became a city in 1979, a year later it was designated as one of the special economic zones (SEZ) of China. The establishment of Zhuhai as an SEZ allowed the Chinese Central Government and economy to have easier access to Macau and consequently, the global market. As a result, Zhuhai is now a major city in the Pearl River Delta region.