[S]outh Lakeland District Council (SLDC) welcomed delegates from the Chinese district of Nanshan to the area during Kendal Mountain Festival.
Representatives from Nanshan Council of Shenzen met with councillors and officers from SLDC at Kendal Town Hall to discuss ways of strengthening cross-cultural trade, tourism and educational development between the two areas.
Last year SLDC, Nanshan Council, Kendal Town Council, Kendal Mountain Festival and the Lake District National Park signed a ‘friendship charter’ to encourage closer relations between Kendal and Nanshan.
The principal aims of the charter are to promote cultural understanding, respect, global education and increase economic growth for both areas.
Councillor Graham Vincent, SLDC’s Economy portfolio holder, said: “I was delighted to be able to welcome our friends from China.
“Nanshan is a remarkable place and I’m sure we can both offer a great deal to one another in terms of culture, tourism, education and technology. We held positive discussions about strengthening relations in these area and I’m excited to see things develop further.”
Officials from Nanshan were visiting South Lakeland due to Kendal Mountain Festival’s links with the region, which has its own international film festival.
Nanshan is one of several districts which forms Shenzhen – a major financial centre and one of China’s special economic zones.
