Changsha and Santo Domingo Este, the Dominican Republic established sister city relationship via a video conference on August 18. At the conference, Zheng Jianxin, deputy secretary of the CPC Changsha Municipal Committee and mayor of Changsha, and Manuel Jiménez, mayor of Santo Domingo Este, delivered speeches and signed a letter of intent on establishing sister city relationship on behalf of the two cities.

Santo Domingo Este is the first city in Central America that has knotted sister city ties with Changsha, and also Changsha's 53rd international sister city.

Peng Huasong, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Changsha Municipal Committee and executive vice mayor of Changsha, presided over the signing ceremony. Chinese Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Zhang Run, and Rosa Irene Perez, charge d'affaires of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in China, delivered speeches respectively. Yang Qi, deputy director of the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, attended.

The signing ceremony.

"Today, we sign the letter of intent on establishing sister city relationship via video link. This will open a new chapter for friendly exchanges between our two cities," said Mayor Zheng in his speech. "It is hoped that the two cities will establish friendship ties through this event and work together to advance resource complementarity, industrial integration, innovation interaction, trade reciprocity and mutual learning of civilizations, yield more fruits of win-win cooperation, and set a fine example of exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Dominican Republic cities," said Mayor Zheng.

"This is the first sister-city agreement I've signed since I held office as mayor of Santo Domingo Este," said Mayor Jiménez. He added, "Santo Domingo Este is the most populous and the youngest city in the Dominican Republic. We are willing to open our doors wide and cross the distance to build friendly relations with Changsha, share the vision of development and march toward a promising future together."

Leaders of departments of foreign affairs, science and education, commerce, culture and tourism, and communications and enterprise representatives of the two cities attended the signing ceremony.

Changsha Mayor Zheng Jianxin and Santo Domingo Este Mayor Manuel Jiménez sign the letter of intent on establishing sister city relationship.

Source: en.changsha.gov.cn