Trier and Xiamen sow seeds for more cooperation

A delegation from the Germany-China Friendship Association of Trier, Germany was given a tour of Xiamen, Fujian province recently.

The delegation, led by the association's president and honorary citizen of Xiamen Peter Dietze,visited a number of sites around the city, including the Xiamen Planning Exhibition Hall, the Xiamen Museum, the old quarters of Siming district and Zengcuoan historical village, which helped them learn about the city's past and present.

Yao Jianhong, deputy director of the Xiamen Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, hosted talks with the delegation in the afternoon of Oct 12.

Yao described the great synergy between the residents and the government demonstrated through the rehabilitation works after Typhoon Meranti, the strongest storm of the year, hit the city in September.

He also introduced the high-profile international events to be held in the city in the coming months, including World Ocean Week and the Xiamen International Marathon.

Yao proposed that the two cities should step up exchanges between middle schools. Dietze responded with the proposal to increase exchanges between families and middle schools.

Dietze also expressed the hope that Xiamen would participate in Trier's celebratory activities in 2018 to mark the 200th birthday of Karl Marx, who was born in the German city in 1818.

Xiamen and Trier established sister-city relations in 2010 and have since heightened their cooperation in education, culture, art and sport.

Now the two cities are collectively promoting the Xiamen Garden project to be constructed in Trier as a manifesto of long-lasting friendship.

Yao Jianhong, deputy director of the Xiamen Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, poses for a group photo with delegates from the Germany-China Friendship Association of Trier, Germany, during their visit to Xiamen in October 2016. [Photo provided to Xmfo.gov.cn]