On 13 August, Consul General Chen Shijie attended and addressed the celebration marking the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Hamilton and Wuxi. Hamilton Mayor Macindoe, city councillors and nearly 100 representatives from various sectors attended the event.

Chen said that sister-city exchanges are a vivid example of the China-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership at the subnational level. He expressed the hope that the two cities would earnestly implement the important common understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, build stronger bridges of people-to-people connectivity, and turn more opportunities for cooperation into concrete projects. The Chinese Consulate-General in Auckland will continue to fully support and promote practical cooperation with China in its consular district and contribute greater impetus to the development of bilateral relations.

Macindoe warmly recalled his Wuxi visit in March and spoke highly of the achievements of China’s modernization. Other members of the delegation also shared their impressions and reflections from the visit, highlighting opportunities in trade and economic cooperation, tourism and culture, infrastructure and other areas, and expressed optimism about the future of cooperation between the two cities.

The event was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Local members of the Chinese community and high school students performed Chinese musical classics, including “Great Waves Wash Away the Sand”, “Moon Reflected in the Second Spring” and “Full of Joy”, receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience.