Japanese city deepens co-op with Xiamen

A delegation from Sasebo, Japan headed by its mayor visits Xiamen from July 31 to Aug 3. [Photo/fo.xm.gov.cn]

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of sister-city relations between Xiamen and Sasebo, Japan, the Japanese city's mayor led a delegation to visit the Chinese city from July 31 to Aug 3.

The 81-member delegation consisted of three groups: city councillors, and representatives of economic exchanges and the Sasebo Xiamen Youth Exchange Association.

Zhuang Jiahan, mayor of Xiamen, met with Mayor Norio Tomonaga and the main delegation members on Aug 1.

Zhuang briefed them on Xiamen's industrial development, urban planning and achievements made in environmental protection.

He thanked Sasebo for the contributions it has made to advancing the sister-city relations and hoped that the two cities will continue working together to deepen their cooperation in the economy, trade and culture so as to bring more benefit to citizens in both cities.

Norio Tomonaga, who has visited the Chinese city for the eighth time as a mayor, said that the progress of Xiamen is the epitome of China's successful reform and opening-up and he can feel its huge changes and vigorous development on his each visit.

Tomonaga also said that he expected that win-win results will be brought out by their further cooperation, because both cities are complementary in various fields.

The Japanese delegation visited Xiamen's OGAWA Inc, which is in the health industry, during which a Japanese medicine institute inked a deal with the Chinese company to jointly develop treatment instruments.

They also visited Xiamen Foreign Language School to witness the establishment of friendly relations between the foreign language school and Sasebo's municipal middle school.

The coastal Japanese city of Sasebo established a sister-city relationship with Xiamen on October 28, 1983. The two cities have since carried out frequent exchanges in the economy, culture, education, art, sports and tourism.