Old namesakes bridge relations

Canton, Ohio, and Conghua become sister cities, hope to create economic exchanges

On old English maps one can find the city of Canton, in China - known today as Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province - and Canton, Ohio, in the United States.

The two cities joined hands on Friday, when government officials announced a sister city relationship between Conghua, a county-level city in Guangzhou and Canton, Ohio.

Canton Mayor William J. Healy II said, "It makes perfect sense" to become sister cities.

"I'd really like to connect our roots," he said.

Canton, Ohio, got its name to mark the experience of a trader who traveled to the ancient Chinese port city of Canton, sold goods in the US and settled in Ohio, Healy said.

The mayor, whose wife is Chinese, said he has traveled to China many times and has "always wanted to develop a sister city relationship with a Chinese city".

He said he hoped the agreement signed on Friday would allow the friendship between the two cities to last 200 more years.

Cai Shu, mayor of Conghua, said he hoped to expand business, commercial, cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two cities and to promote economic development for both through this bridge of friendship.

Conghua, in northeastern Guangzhou, hosted equestrian events for the Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010.

Healy was on a trip to promote investment with cities in the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong.

Accompanying Healy on the trip, arranged by the US Commerce Department's SelectUSA office, were members of a delegation coming from 22 national and regional US institutions.

Speaking of future cooperation, Healy said "the first thing everybody is concerned about is having economic opportunities to help both communities to promote trade and investment in each other's regions".

A second area for cooperation, he said, would be "improving and supporting education".

He said that there were great opportunities for educational exchanges and partnerships with universities and high schools that would help young people from both sides experience multiculturalism.

With the American football Hall of Fame located in Canton and rich hot spring resources in Conghua, both cities understand the importance of tourism, he said, adding that both would work on promoting it by means such as cross-marketing.

Healthcare, medical services and water supply were sectors with high potential for bilateral investment, Healy said.

Two of the top three employers in Canton, Ohio, are medical consultants, which is also a big sector in Conghua.

Conghua is one of the main sources of water of Guangzhou and Canton supplies water to much of its surrounding region.

"There might be some green technologies that we can share," Healy said.

liwenfang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 04/21/2014 page4)