EThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba and Deputy Mayor of Ningde Municipal People’s Government and the Chairman of Ningde Oversees Friendship Association Mao Zuosong signed a ‘Friendly Exchange City Relationship Agreement’ at the Durban City Hall on 6 September.

ETHEKWINI Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba welcomed a Chinese delegation to the City as part of strengthening relationships with other countries.They signed a ‘Friendly Exchange City Relationship Agreement’ to establish more practical cooperation projects with South Africa. Mayor Xaba said: “On behalf of the people of eThekwini, we would like to extend a warm welcome to you. Your presence here today marks the beginning of what will be a lasting and fruitful friendship between our two cities.

We look forward to strengthening our connection with Ningde, a city that shares our values of innovation, resilience, and cultural richness.” He said the meeting signalled cooperation that will see the two cities working together in areas such as trade, investment in green energy, tourism, education, and environmental sustainability. “We are excited about the possibilities that this partnership holds, and we are committed to ensuring that it will bring tangible benefits to both Durban and Ningde” added Mayor Xaba. He said like Durban, Ningde is a dynamic city located in the north eastern part of Fujian Province, China. In terms of industry, Ningde has attracted several leading enterprises such as CATL, New Energy Technology, Qingtuo Group, SAIC Group, and Southeast Copper.