The History of the sister city relationship
Gansu Province and Christchurch City
Gansu Province Overview of the relationship with Christchurch City
The relationship between Gansu and New Zealand was established after the founding of Shandan Bailie School by Rewi Alley in 1942. To strengthen the friendly ties between Gansu and New Zealand, Rewi and Bill Willmott with New Zealand China Friendship Society proposed a sister city relationship between Gansu and Christchurch in 1982, which was strongly supported by both Gansu provincial government and Christchurch city council. Shortly after exchange of letters and visits, Gansu and Christchurch formally signed a friendship agreement in April, 1984.
Over the past 35 years, this relationship has become deep, broad and strong. Gansu and Christchurch have organized 35 high level visits and 30 citizens’ tour and work visits with more than 800 people joined, besides lots of very successful events in areas of talents cultivation, educational exchange, culture and art, agriculture, animal husbandry, wine-making, gardening, forestry, economy and trade, sports, science education and etc. In 2009, Shandan and Selwyn established a sister city relationship. Up to date, GSFAO has sent ten English interpreters to Christchurch for language training, 27 young men and women from Christchurch and Selwyn joined Gansu International Fellowship Program. Regular exchanges maintain between Lanzhou University and Canterbury University as well as Lanzhou City University and Ara Institute of Canterbury. In March 2015, Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel and Selwyn Mayor Kevin Coe jointly paid a formal visit to Gansu to celebrate the 30th anniversary for the first time. In September 2019, Gansu Party Secretary Lin Duo led a delegation to Christchurch and Selwyn for the 35th anniversary.
Thanks to the relationship, New Zealand has become a household name in Gansu, and Christchurch has been most successful sister city of the province in the globe. Through this friendly links Gansu opens its arms wider to the outside world and better understand New Zealand and her great son Rewi Alley.
