Boasting lush mountains and picturesque coastline, Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is regarded as one of the world's most livable cities. Xiamen, a special economic zone on China's southeast coast, has a rich and diverse culture and a world-class business environment. It is praised by President Xi Jinping as a city "well known for its innovation and entrepreneurship" and "a beautiful garden city with perfect harmony between man and nature." In June 1987, the two beautiful cities became sister cities.
The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand, and the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the sister-city relationship between Xiamen and Wellington. In recent years, in the face of new challenges brought about by the normalization of COVID-19 prevention and control, the two cities have joined hands to fight the pandemic by donating masks, organizing video conferences, and conducting online exchange activities. Such pragmatic cooperation between the two cities has marked important links for China-New Zealand friendly exchanges.
The Friendship between the Sister Cities: Creating Multiple "Firsts" in China-New Zealand Relations
Although Wellington is not the earliest "overseas friend" in Xiamen's "circle of friends," it is one of Xiamen's closest sister cities with the most frequent exchanges.
It is so natural for Xiamen and Wellington to become sister cities, for they have a lot in common. Like Xiamen, Wellington is a well-known coastal city with natural bays and beaches, as well as flowers blooming all year round. In the morning, cleaned by the drizzle, the roadside kapok trees in Wellington look more vividly colorful, just like the flame trees in Xiamen. Clare Fearnley, New Zealand Ambassador to China, once said affectionately that the first time she visited Xiamen, she was "conquered" by Xiamen's sea breeze, which made her immediately feel as if in her hometown.
Since the two cities became sister cities, Xiamen and Wellington have maintained good interactions in various fields such as economy, education, culture, and medical care.
As early as February 1988, at the invitation of Xiamen Municipal Education Commission, Baz Polly, a teacher from Wellington, came to teach in Xiamen No. 2 High School of Fujian for one year. That was the first educational exchange between them as sister cities. Since then, the two cities have never stopped exchange of educational talents. In August 2008, the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Education sent 10 middle school students to Wellington to participate in the exchange program with scholarships provided by Wellington City Council and the Wellington Xiamen Association (WXA). It was a complete success helping Xiamen Shuangshi Middle School of Fujian students (Guo Anli, Zeng Donghai and Zeng Dongdong) to study in Wellington High School. In April 2010, a Wellington educational exchange group consisting of three teachers and 10 students paid a return visit to Xiamen, studying courses of Chinese culture, such as Chinese language, calligraphy, paper-cutting and martial arts at the Xiamen No. 1 High School. In November 2014, a group of teachers and students from Xiamen Music School went to Wellington for a friendly visit.