Official signing ceremony Nov. 20 between the Cities of Suzhou (signed by Vice-Mayor Zhou Wei Qiang on right) and Victoria. BC (Mayor Alan Lowe) and witnessed by Community Services Minister Ida Chong.
The two cities have had a twinning arrangement
for a number of years. Today's MOU further enhances
their twinning relationship by agreeing to encourage
economically-robust relations between local business
enterprises in the two cities.
This day in Suzhou was particularly special as we were joined by Victoria’s Mayor Alan Lowe along with two representatives of the Suzhou-Victoria Sister City Association. Briefed by Ms. Zhao Ping of the Suzhou Foreign Affairs Office, we were provided with an opportunity to observe the vast cultural and economic progress of Suzhou depicted in the historical artifacts included in the New Suzhou Museum which honours and clearly respects their past through to the ultra modern and sophisticated Suzhou Industrial Park. This park, a partnership between Singapore and China, has, in a planned way resulted in astounding economic growth all the while committing 45 percent to green space in this industrial/residential area. As in British Columbia, rapid urbanized growth is important to recognize early and densification has been adopted as a solution to tackling urban sprawl. Welcomed in the evening by the Vice Mayor of Suzhou, Zhou Wei Qiang, we heard about the most impressive growth and prosperity of Suzhou—24 per cent gross domestic product increase, $8 billion in foreign direct investment and a total of $220 billion imports/exports in the past year, all the while committing to environmental management, cultural development and social system support. The day concluded with a Suzhou-Victoria Memorandum of Understanding signing event that I was honoured to witness. This agreement represents a new opportunity that builds on the long history of friendship and partnership between the two cities. It commences a new and important direction for this long standing sister city relationship. It galvanizes the heretofore friendly relationship between the two cities into a mutual commitment toward increased trade and investment thus fulfilling the test of economic robustness of the twinning relationship with our capital city. Clearly, twinning is a viable and proven approach to building important and successful economic, educational, and cultural relationships in British Columbia that will result in mutual benefits to our citizens.
Minister Ida Chong and Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe |
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Minister Ida Chong's
Mission Journal
