Five Chinese delegates from the eastern city of Yanji, including the city’s mayor Zhao, Zhexue, visited Armidale to foster a closer relationship between the cities.
During a formal afternoon welcome in the Armidale Dumaresq Council chambers, Mayor Peter Ducat said that on behalf of the Council he was honoured to meet the visitors. Cr Ducat said that he had enjoyed the interesting discussions during lunch and hoped that the delegates would take home “fond memories of Armidale” after their tour of the city and surrounds that morning.
The Chinese Mayor reciprocated by thanking Cr Ducat and saying that this is the Chinese Friendship and Cultural Year between China and Australia. He considered the relationship an important one, and hoped that the previous sister city relationship between Yanji and Armidale, begun in 1995, could continue.
The Chinese Mayor hopes that both cities could benefit from a bilateral tourism and possible trade relationship.
Cr Ducat thanked the Chinese delegation for the invitation to revive the relationship, and explained that Council will consider the offer and continue to communicate with Yanji Municipal Government.
The city of Yanji has a population of approximately 400,000.
After their first stop in Sydney for a conference, the Chinese delegation visited Armidale for one day before travelling on to Melbourne and New Zealand, before returning to the People’s Republic of China.
