At a meeting of Council last night, Council agreed to accept an invitation from Binzhou City to visit the city in May this year. The decision follows a visit by the Deputy Mayor and officials from Binzhou City in October 2016.
Mayor of Clarence, Alderman Doug Chipman said the visit to Binzhou will give the Council a better understanding of the city and the possibility of cultural and investment links between the two cities.
“This visit will allow us to determine what opportunities there are for cooperation in relation to agriculture, tourism, education, sport and investment,” Mayor Chipman said.
“At this stage we are not seeking to enter into a sister city relationship; however we are keen to explore opportunities for future cooperation with Binzhou and this may include signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the city.”
Binzhou is located in northern Shandong Province and sits on the Yellow River. Its main industries are agriculture and manufacturing.
Binzhou is also the home city of Chambroad Shandong, the investment company proposing to develop the recently approved waterfront hotel and hospitality training facility at Kangaroo Bay.
“Council is keen to explore opportunities for formal relationships in the growing Asia region that promote economic development, tourism and cultural exchange and we look forward to further discussions with Binzhou City.”
The delegation will consist of the Mayor, two or three aldermen and the General Manager.