2011-11-28 01:03

Sister Cities to send delegation to China as goodwill ambassadors

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and City Council representative Dennis Shingleton will lead a delegation to Guiyang, China April 13-22, 2012 to sign the official sister cities agreement in China. The exchange will consist of three nights in Guiyang visiting local sites of interest, as well as the official signing ceremony at city hall and celebration banquet.  The exchange will also include four nights in Beijing visiting the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and a tour of the Forbidden City.  Anyone wishing to join the delegation is invited to join the group on this momentous occasion.   Applications and deposit deadlines are posted on the Sister Cities webpage. “Fort Worth is eager to formalize relationships with Guiyang and looks forward to many beneficial exchanges between our two cities.  Together, Fort Worth and Guiyang, hope to create a better understanding of our individual cultures.  There are many similarities and many differences we will be able to share”, said Mayor Betsy Price. In May 2010, a Fort Worth delegation of Sister Cities board members, representatives from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, City of Fort Worth and local business leaders visited China to determine which city to invite to become Fort Worth’s eighth sister city.  Upon a recommendation by the Sister Cities board of directors, the Fort Worth city council unanimously selected Guiyang, China and an official invitation was extended.  Guiyang immediately followed with its acceptance.  In October an official delegation of eight lead by Mayor Li from Guiyang visited Fort Worth to sign the agreement here. Guiyang is Fort Worth’s eighth sister city and the 124^th U.S. city to form a sister city partnership in China.