China International Friendship Cities Conference 2018

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Press Release

Published on 8 November 2018
Archived on 8 December 2018


Stratford-on-Avon District Council sponsored by the City of Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province, has been given an award by the Chinese Government and has been invited to collect it at the China International Friendship Cities Conference. 

The Chairman of Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Cllr Christopher Kettle, will be travelling to China, courtesy of the Chinese Government, next week to collect the award on behalf of the District Council.

The China International Friendship Cities Conference will be held from 14 to 16 November in Wuhan, China.

This year's event has been co-organised by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), China International Friendship Cities Association (CIFCA) and Wuhan Municipal People's Government.

 The last time this conference was held in 2016 it was hosted in Chongqing Municipality and some 600 representatives from 263 cities around the world attended the conference and exchanged ideas on the theme of 'innovative development and cooperation'.

The theme for this year's conference is 'Sharing Development Opportunities and Deepening Win-Win Cooperation'.  Delegates from local governments and international organisation across the world will discuss how to build modern international eco-friendly cities and share experiences on promoting common prosperity and development for cities.  

As part of this conference the District Council has been nominated for an award for the cultural and economic work currently being taking place with Stratford-upon-Avon and Fuzhou.

Cllr Christopher Kettle, Chairman of the District Council says: "This a great opportunity for Stratford District and reflects the work that the District Council, along with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the RSC and King Edward VI School, have been doing with the City of Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province, and it is such a privilege and honour to be collecting this award on behalf of the District Council."

The conference was started in 2008 and is a biennial event which has been held five times. China has established 2,340 pairs of friendship provinces and cities with foreign counterparts so far.

Wuhan is the capital city of China's Hubei Province and situated on the world's third-longest river, the Yangtze River and its longest tributary, the Han River.

Key to the cultural partnership with Fuzhou is Sanweng Town, a new cultural attraction being built 14km from Fuzhou, which will celebrate the lives and works of William Shakespeare, Tang Xianzu and Miguel de Cervantes. Sanweng will feature reconstructions of some of the hometowns of each artist.

The attraction aims to celebrate the achievements of Tang Xianzu, Shakespeare and Cervantes, who all passed away in the same year, 1616. 


Contact details

Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Elizabeth House, Church Street,
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire,
CV37 6HX
Tel: 01789 267575

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Last updated on 08/11/2018