Nuwara Eliya strengthens ties with Chinese Yongzhou city

P. Rajaratnam in Nuwara Eliya

Two cities Nuwara Eliya and the Chinese city of Yongzhou were twined as two sister cities in the presence of Central Province Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa, Central Provincial Council Chief minister Sarath Ekanayake and Nuwara Eliya Mayor Chandanalal Karunaratne at a ceremony held at the Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya.

The Governor recalled his visit to China and the Yongzhou city with a delegation comprising the Nuwara Eliya Mayor and others and where Memorandum of Understanding was signed twining Nuwara Eliya and the Yongzhou city.

Exactly within a year, a Chinese delegation from that city visited Nuwara Eliya with Yongzhou city Mayor Gong Wusheng and Chinese People's Congress Deputy Secretary Meikebao and a host of others.

Kobbekaduwa recalled the ancient ties between China and Sri Lanka centuries ago.

He said he was confident that the two cities will promote avenues in education, tourism, sports and other cultural activities in the future.

He said the city of Yongzhou in China has similarities with Nuwara Eliya in the field of vegetation and tourist potentials.

Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake said President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited China to renew ties between the two countries and recalled Sri Lanka and China trade pacts, where for centuries the two countries were involved in that, our country importing rice and exporting rubber for years.

He said the BMICH was a great monument to this country presented by China, and similarly several other developments have been undertaken by Chinese government in this country.