Sister cities help buttress ties

The number of China-Africa sister cities has reached 73 pairs and the avenues for cooperation are widening at great speed.

That was the message from Wang Yunze, vice-president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), at a seminar on Cooperation between Chinese and African Local Governments held yesterday in Beijing.

The seminar, held against the backdrop of blossoming China-Africa ties, aims to implement the "Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan" and foster sister-city cooperation.

The Beijing summit of the forum last year adopted an action plan that defined the collaboration between the two sides during 2007-09.

Under the plan, the two sides will support the establishment of sister-province/state and sister-city relations and promote exchanges and cooperation in local development and administration.

Attended by officials of local governments and affiliated institutions from the two sides, the seminar mainly focused on the status, form and problems of sister-city cooperation.

"If we depend only on ourselves, there will be limited achievement. Through the sister-city relationship between local governments, we hope dreams of development can be turned into reality," said Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, president of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA),

Fei Yafu, an official from Northwest China's Gansu Province, suggested sister cities take advantage of local conditions.

"Gansu is located in a drought-prone area, similar to sub-Saharan Africa. Our experience in fighting drought and solving drinking water problems can be very useful to these countries," said Fei.

Source: China Daily