KK-Hangzhou sister city pact in October By Chok Sim Yee
HANGZHOU, CHINA: Hangzhou and Kota Kinabalu will officially sign a sister city agreement in October this year, said the Foreign Affairs (Hong Kong and Macau Affairs) Office of Hangzhou Municipal Government Director, Dong Zude.
The signing ceremony will take place during the 2017 Hangzhou International Sister City Mayors’ Conference organized by the Hangzhou Foreign Affairs Office.
By the end of 2016, Hangzhou has established sister city relationships with 29 cities and Kota Kinabalu will soon be the 30th city with sisterhood pact with the capital of Zhejiang Province.
Both cities, represented by the chairman of the Standing Committee of Hangzhou Municipal People’s Congress Wang Jincai and Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai, have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing the sister city ties in November last year.
The ceremony was witnessed by the Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Teo Chee Kang, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Edward Yong Oui Fah and Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu, Chen Peijie.
Dong said Hangzhou would be holding the 2017 Hangzhou International Sister City Mayors’ Conference themed “City and Innovation’ from October 18 to 22 this year where delegates from its sister cities would discuss on innovation plans and learn from each other.
“The Hangzhou Municipal Government plans to sign the official sister city agreement during the conference.
“The signing ceremony is just a symbolic gesture. More importantly, we need to take concrete action.
“We are studying ways to strengthen cooperation with Kota Kinabalu City in various aspects,” he said when meeting a media delegation from Sabah at Hangzhou Citizens Centre here yesterday.
With the availability of Hangzhou-Kota Kinabalu direct flights, Dong said the Hangzhou Municipal Government would look into making Sabah as the main destination for Chinese tourists from Zhejiang Province, especially Hangzhou.
“We also plan to organize a trip for Hangzhou-based travel agencies to visit Sabah and let them experience the natural beauty of the Land Below the Wind,” he said, adding that he would pose the suggestion to Yeo.
On enhancing cultural exchanges, he said the Hangzhou Municipal Government initially planned to bring a cultural troupe to perform in Kota Kinabalu during the Chinese New Year this year but that did not materialize due to technical reasons. He said the government planned to do so next year.
Dong also welcomed Sabah cultural troupes to perform in Hangzhou.
He said the Hangzhou Municipal Government had been assisting Sabah to promote its investment opportunity and potential to the companies based in the city since signing the sister city memorandum with Kota Kinabalu.
He said the government would encourage more Hangzhoubased enterprises to take part in the trade expo organized by the Malaysia China Friendship Association in October this year.
In fact, Dong said a Hokkien association in China comprising 37 entrepreneurs would be visiting Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand to explore the investment opportunities.
“Their initial itinerary did not include Sabah but I have told them that they must go to Sabah because there are abundant business opportunities.”
At the same time, Dong said the Hangzhou Municipal Government would also organize trade delegation to seek investment opportunities in the State.
Dong said Hangzhou and Kota Kinabalu would also strengthen cooperation in education sector.
He said the Hangzhou Normal University was actively attracting international students with offers of scholarship.
“We informed the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu, Chen Peijie about the scholarship offers in order for her to disseminate the information.”
He said the Hangzhou Municipal Government would also give priority to Sabahan students who wish to further their tertiary education at Hangzhou Normal University.
“We are looking forward to the official establishment of sister city ties with Kota Kinabalu.
“There are a lot of things which we can learn from Kota Kinabalu.”
Dong said the Hangzhou Municipal Government was also willing to share its experience in urban development with Kota Kinabalu.
Also present was Hangzhou Tourism Commission’s Marketing Department vice chief, Li Xiubao.