Garry Moore and Li Xiansheng are exchanging the signed Agreement and

congratulating on the new relationship between Christchurch and Wuhan

Photo courtesy of Changjiang Daily Group

The MoU was renewed between Lincoln University (LU) and Huazhong Agricultural University (HAU) by Dr. Chris Kirk, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of LU, and Prof. Zhang Duanpin, Vice-Chancellor of HAU on the morning of 04 April 2006.

Dr. Chris Kirk meet Prof. Zhang Duanpin, Vice-Chancellor of HAU.

Photo courtesy of HAU

An agreement was signed on Sister Schools Alliance between Wuhan High Schools and Christchurch High Schools on 04 April 2006.

Handshake after signing the Agreement on Sister Schools Alliance.
Photo courtesy of  Education Christchurch

A Brief Account of the Mayoral Visit

On Tuesday 04 April 2006, Mr Garry Moore, Mayor of Christchurch, started his third visit to Wuhan. On the evening of the same day, Garry signed the Friendship City Agreement with Mr Li Xiansheng, Mayor of Wuhan, bringing the relationship between Christchurch and Wuhan City to the highest level that the Chinese Government recognizes. It was a historic moment for both cities. Christchurch has now got the highest-level city relationship with a second Chinese city in addition to Gansu Province; and Wuhan has now got its first ever foothold in Australasian area.

The Christchurch Mayoral Delegation comprises of 18 official members, including experts in food science, agriculture, horticulture, equine science and horse-racing, education, and together with some other types of expertise that Wuhan City is seeking beneficial cooperation with.

On Wednesday 05 April 2006, the Mayoral Delegation visited the Chinese Antarctic Centre of Mapping & Surveying (CACMS) in Wuhan University, one of the top two universities in Wuhan City. The Centre has already been in collaboration with Gateway Antarctica in the University of Canterbury. This visit has further strengthened the tie between the collaborators and will lead to more joint projects.

Prof. Wang, Larry and Prof. E

A Brief Sketch of Christchurch-Wuhan Relationship

The Wuhan and Christchurch relationship started about 8 years ago, when Mr Yin Zengtao, the then Deputy Mayor of Wuhan, came to Christchurch in late 1998. It was the first official visit from Wuhan and Christchurch reciprocated the visit in January 1999 when Garry Moore was elected Mayor of Christchurch.

Since Mr Yin and Garry Moore started the relationship, there have been quite a number of people that have made valuable contributions to the flourishing relationship between Christchurch and Wuhan. In late 2003, a group of young officials from Wuhan Municipal Government came down to the University of Canterbury for a 5-month training, and 4 of the trainees undertook a project that mapped the possible areas of cooperation between the two cities. The project, supervised by Larry Podmore, Science & Technology Manager in CDC, became a strategy framework for the economic cooperation between Christchurch and Wuhan.

The Continuing Education of UC and the former Christchurch College of Education which is now merged into UC have done quality training for about  a dozen groups of Wuhan officials and secondary school principals and lead teachers, with the assistance from the Christchurch-based IETCL. The training sessions have further strengthened the links between the two cities, and most of the alumni have become devoted friends to Christchurch and New Zealand, which makes the cooperation much easier. Also worth a grateful mention is the NZ Hubei Association which has helped to receive many delegations to Christchurch from Wuhan and facilitate several cultural exchanges between Christchurch and Wuhan.

In June 2004, Mayor Moore led a second delegation to Wuhan, and the visit led to the establishment of the Strategic Partnership between Christchurch and Wuhan City. The delegation, comprising 50 people and constituting the largest ever in the history of Christchurch to head overseas, included representatives from both public sectors and private sectors. It was still a learning journey for the delegation, and most of the delegates were deeply impressed with the enormous opportunities for economic cooperation between the two cities.

From the start of 2005, the Canterbury Development Corporation was officially entrusted with the task of managing the relationship between the two cities. Science and Technology was prioritized on the cooperation list in view of Christchurch's good reputation for innovation, and Wuhan as a city with a prestigious university cluster. The year has seen a substantial growth of research linkage between the institutions in Wuhan and Christchurch. Right now, there are several sister colleges/universities with a number of joint research initiatives, and this research collaboration has added a valuable dimension to the cultural exchange and the usual education cooperation in between the two cities.

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Dianne Keenan, Christchurch City Council's Communication & Consultation Manager, and a former chief reporter of The Press, travelled with the Christchurch Mayoral Delegation to Wuhan, and has got the following news stories about the visit.

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31 March 2006

Mayor of Christchurch, Garry Moore leaves tomorrow to travel to Wuhan, China, where he will sign a Friendship City Agreement. Travelling with him is a delegation of Christchurch experts in business, education, technology, research and horse racing. He explains why this new inter-city partnership is so valuable for Christchurch.

Christchurch now has a foothold in one of the world's economic powerhouses, the Chinese city of Wuhan, through its expertise in education, science, technology and horticulture.

Next week Christchurch's relationship with Wuhan, the fourth largest city in China, moves to a new level of cooperation when I sign a Friendship City Agreement with Wuhan's Mayor. Chinese Authorities previously allowed any foreign city to have one friendship city (sister city in our terms) in China. We already have Gansu and this new partnership with Wuhan, the highest level of formal relationship conferred by a Chinese city, is the first exception for a New Zealand city.

It is a huge honour for a city our size and provides us with a cultural and economic ally in Asia. Wuhan on the banks of Yangtze River in Central China is our new gateway to the already vast and rapidly growing Chinese market.

Christchurch may be tiny by Chinese city standards, but it has much in common with Wuhan, a culturally rich city with a history dating back 3500 years.

Regarded as  slightly less developed than its counterparts of Beijing or Shanghai, Wuhan with a population of 8.3 million, is recognised as one of the three knowledge capitals of China, and the Optic Valley of China. Its strengths in computer science, opto-electronics, agricultural sciences, nanotechnology, biosciences, and Antarctic science are a perfect fit with our city's research and industry.

Wuhan's city leaders have got to know us well since we formed our first links seven years ago. They like what they see and hear about Christchurch.  In addition to our expertise, they admire our clean green environment and our neutrality. They describe us in fond terms as a "second Switzerland". We have also earned their respect for not getting involved in the Iraq war, and our strong civic stand for world peace.

Wuhan values its international links and every year carries out economic promotions in its different sister cities to create business opportunities. Its engagement with Christchurch fills a previous gap in its sister city network which includes Pittsburg in the United States, Manchester in Britain and Bordeaux in France.

On our part, economic development to boost local industry and employment is a focus for the Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Development Corporation. China is experiencing incredible rates of growth and development. We take the Chinese market seriously and have recognised we need a partner to broaden our economic and scientific cooperation in this area. We already enjoy the Sister City relationship with Gansu Province in China, and Wuhan adds to our strength in this important market.

We are extremely fortunate. Wuhan is an important industrial base in China both in high-tech and traditional manufacturing, and has recently become China's Optic Valley (named after the American Silicon Valley). Its economy represents about 1.4 per cent of Chinese economic activity. Ninety per cent of China's population lives in a 1000 kilometre radius of Wuhan. The circle is China's economic core.

Wuhan requested that Canterbury leaders and experts in the business, science, technology, education, horticulture and horse racing sectors be included in this historic delegation. Wuhan is looking for help with a number of projects including developing the city's green spaces and improving its horse racing industry. The delegation includes: Murray Acklin, New Zealand Racing Board Director; Paul Tocker, Chief Executive Crop and Food; Scott Davidson, PVC and Dean of the School of Law, Canterbury University; Diane Lucas, landscape architect and planner; Chris Kirk, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Lincoln University; Margaret Pierson, Christchurch Polytechnic; Geoffrey Pearman, University of Canterbury; Maureen Manson, Susan Anderson and Trish Leddy of Education Christchurch/Canterbury and Prue Taylor, Principal of Christchurch Girls High School.

All those on the delegation will be either exploring or furthering relationships they already have with Wuhan institutions. Some of the parties want to set up exchanges in the areas of media, technology and education.

An example of the closer ties between our two cities is the partnership that the Editor of The Press, Paul Thompson intends forming with the largest newspaper publishers in Wuhan and the third largest newspaper group in China, Changjiang Daily Group. The news organisations propose exchanging news columns, providing work experience for reporters and initiating web links. This relationship will be formalised when Paul Thompson travels to Wuhan later this year.

Our links with Wuhan date back to 1999 when the Christchurch City Council entered an initial agreement with Wuhan to explore the possibilities for economic links between the two cities. Since then a number of exchanges with Wuhan have secured cooperation agreements, relationships and projects.

It has evolved into an active commitment between the Canterbury Development Corporation and its Wuhan counterpart. Professor Eugene Feng, who is playing a major role in next week's visit, has joined the Canterbury Development Corporation as Project Manager-Asia.

The opportunities are enormous and I am confident that plenty of good news will unfold in the next week as we strengthen our ties with Wuhan.

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03 April 2006

Story from Diane Keenan from China – Mayoral delegation to Wuhan

Christchurch is showing other cities how to do business in China, New Zealand's Trade Commissioner in China, Jonathan Watt says.

Mr Watt and other New Zealand officials based in China are enthusiastic about the potential of Christchurch's formal ties with Wuhan, the fourth largest city in China and one of the fastest growing economic areas in China.

Wuhan, with a population of 8.3 million, is one of China's three knowledge capitals and the Optic Valley of China. It is recognised for its strengths in computer science, opto-electronics, education, agricultural science, nanotechnology, biosciences and Antarctic science.

Mr Watt, who is based in the Chinese capital of Beijing, says Christchurch, in focusing its effort on one city, is moving into the Chinese market in an effective way.

"In forming a relationship with Wuhuan, Christchurch has chosen to work with a city in an area of China which is going ahead," he says.

Garry Moore is leading a Christchurch delegation of 18 who have expertise in science, technology, horticulture, horse racing and education. He says Christchurch has been strengthening its ties with Wuhan for the past seven years. "We have built up an excellent relationship of trust and respect. Strategically this is a very good relationship for us. Wuhan is an amazing knowledge centre and wants to build on that with the expertise we can offer them," he says.

"We started the relationship on a friendship basis, and we have progressed this by cooperating with economic development. This has only strengthened our friendship which in turn will lead to more economic development."

Jonathan Watt says New Zealand's exports to China, whose economy grew at 9.9 per cent last year., have been increasing steadily. The biggest winners in the market last year included frozen seafood, animal casings and kiwifruit. China reduced its imports of New Zealand dairy products, partly because of the currency .

China whose economy grew at 9.9 per cent last year, likes a lot of firsts and New Zealand has  certainly given them those, Mr Watt says. New Zealand is negotiating a free trade agreement with China and is the first country in the world to recognise China as a market economy. New Zealand is getting exposure in China with more than 2000 delegations from China visiting New Zealand last year.

Christchurch businessman, Allan Ross who has represented Christchurch's Canesis Network in China since 1994, says Christchurch is developing its links to Chinese market through Wuhan in the correct way. "China is just too big a market to approach in an ad hoc way," he says. Mr Ross's company promotes the advantages of using wool over synthetics in carpet manufacture and provides manufacturers with technical advice in switching to wool. China is New Zealand's biggest market for wool, in particular carpet wools.

Mr Moore and the delegation are in Wuhan for the next four days exploring or furthering relationships they already have with Wuhan institutions.

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06 April 2006

From Diane Keenan in Wuhan with the Christchurch delegation

The humble kiwifruit with its origins in China is poised to take the Christchurch's scientific relationship with the Chinese city of Wuhan to a new level.

The delegation of 18 Christchurch science and technology, business and education experts, headed by Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore yesterday visited the Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences which has the world's largest collection of 66 kiwifruit species.

Scientific representatives on the delegation were so impressed with the success of the Wuhan Botanical Garden plant breeding projects that they want to extend a 20-year link to New Zealand through kiwifruit to cooperation in other scientific projects. In the first step of this new relationship, parties this week established networks to draw on each other's knowledge.

The Wuhan Botanical Garden has much to offer New Zealand. The 78-hectare gardens, which are home to 8000 species, are not only beautiful, but they are a progressive centre for research and saving endangered plants.

Research projects include breeding aquatic plants to clean up polluted Chinese waterways. Wuhan Botanical Garden director Professor Huang Hongwen, an avid environmentalist who has already visited New Zealand five times for kiwifruit research, is keen to cooperate with Christchurch.

Mr Moore says the Wuhan model has potential for Christchurch. "I am convinced there is an obvious fit between science and our botanic gardens and the Wuhan model is something we’ll be looking at further," Mr Moore says.

Mr Moore is delighted that proposals that have been talked about since Christchurch formed its link with Wuhan seven years ago are coming to fruition.

"We've done a lot of hard work and have built relationships. The people of Wuhan see us as their friends and instead of just talking, we now have to make things happen," he says.

Chief Executive of Crop and Food, Lincoln, Paul Tocker, one of those enthusiastic about the plant research projects at the Wuhan Botanical Garden, is in Wuhan to identify food technology and food design expertise.

"We can work with anyone in any part of the world whose aim is to get agricultural produce to a healthy end use," Mr Tocker says.

Crop and Food is already working with a Wuhan research organisations and China as part of the international potato genome sequencing consortium. China is mapping the gene sequence of two of the 12 chromosomes and Crop and Food is mapping one. The other countries involved include Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Australia, Denmark, Turkey and Poland.

Mr Tocker is interested in extending his organisation's links in Wuhan, particularly if it relates to food technology and design where there is a current shortage in New Zealand.

"We want to move away from a project basis to an organisation to organisation strategic cooperation," he says.

"If I find that capability in Wuhan we may be able to bring some of their experts to New Zealand to work with our scientists and students."

Mr Tocker envisages using New Zealand technology and intellectual property in conjunction with raw agricultural products from both China and NZ in joint ventures with Chinese organisations that would produce and market the goods.

"It is easier to ship intellectual property than bulk products, and the returns are better. That is the way for New Zealand to play its part in the international market place, and to continue to punch above its weight there."

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07 April 2006

From Diane Keenan in Wuhan with the Christchurch delegation

Christchurch's new relationship with China's fourth largest city is already having results with the University of Canterbury forming a partnership with a Chinese university which has more than 50,000 students.

Just two days after Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore signed a Friendship City Agreement with Wuhan, Canterbury's Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of the School of Law, Scott Davidson signed a formal agreement on academic cooperation and exchanges with the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST).

Professor Davidson, who is part of the scientific and academic delegation in Wuhan with the Mayor Mr Moore, says "HUST, one of China's top-ranking universities, is renowned for its colleges of computer science, engineering and medicine."

The agreement will pave the way for cooperation on research projects and student exchanges. It cements the informal collaboration Canterbury University has enjoyed with HUST's college of computer science and technology since 2004. The college's head Professor Hai Jin has already visited Canterbury and five staff members will be in Christchurch next week for the HITLab NZ Consortium Conference.

Professor Davidson says the relationship between the two universities has interesting origins – it was not formed on the usual university-to-university basis, but came about as Christchurch’s relationship with Wuhan evolved.

"The relationship has developed bottom up which works better than one from top down," he says.

During the delegation's full day visit to Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Garry Moore spoke to 200 students about Christchurch, its values, the environment and peace. Although Chinese universities are large by New Zealand standards, gaining entry is extremely competitive and only half the students applying are accepted.

The students spoke excellent English and engaged Mr Moore with questions ranging from whether it  would  be a culture shock for Chinese students to study in Christchurch, to how he would tackle Wuhan's severe air pollution and traffic congestion problems.

Education Christchurch representatives on the delegation have also progressed their relationship with Wuhan's secondary schools and vocational training institutes this week.

Christchurch Girls High principal, Prue Taylor signed a "sister school" alliance with the 1500-student Wuhan Girls High School. "The school's academic standard is extremely high and most of its students go on to university," Prue Taylor says. Wuhan will host a student exchange visit from Christchurch Girls High next year.

The delegation has also signed a similar alliance between 13 Education Christchurch member schools and 10 Wuhan schools. The relationship will include staff exchanges, student exchange programmes in China and New Zealand and recruiting English language teachers in Christchurch for Wuhan.

Education Christchurch is also planning an education conference for teachers and principals from Wuhan in 2008. Initial discussions have also been held with eight vocational colleges and high schools to form a vocational training alliance.