Richmond's mayor will lead a 22-member delegation to China next month to forge stronger business, educational, social and cultural links.
Mayor Malcolm Brodie and six councillors will head the delegation that will be in China from April 25-29.
The group also includes representatives of Tourism Richmond, Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Richmond School Board, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Trinity Western University and the Richmond Sister City Committee.
According to the city, the highlight of the visit will be the signing of a formal Sister City Agreement between Xiamen and Richmond. A letter of intent to become Sister Cities was signed in 2011, when a delegation from Xiamen visited Richmond. The two have been Friendship Cities since 2008.
The city will only be paying for the mayor and councillors and, although the exact cost of the trip will not be known until afterward, the rest of the delegation, and other participating organizations, will pay their own way.
It's estimated the trip will cost $40,000, said city spokesperson Ted Townsend.
"We are saving considerably on airfare due to discounts from China Eastern Airlines," Townsend added.
Townsend also said other funds are coming from the $234,000 surplus allocation approved last year, which covers the sister city program expenses from 2011 to 2013.
The visit will also focus on increasing tourism, particularly through expanded air service between Richmond and China, further tapping into the increasing demand for international education and exploring other economic development opportunities.
"Xiamen and Richmond have developed close ties since we became Friendship Cities in 2008," said Mayor Brodie. "We've seen real economic and cultural benefits from our relationship and are looking forward to building on that foundation through an expanded Sister City relationship."
Councillors Bill McNulty and Harold Steves will lead a smaller four-person delegation to Onagawa and Wakayama, Japan from April 18-24.
The small fishing village of Onagawa was devastated in the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Only 5,000 of the 11,000 residents survived the disaster.
Led by several Steveston community groups, more than $150,000 in cash and in-kind donations have been raised to provide assistance to Onagawa.
The delegation will also visit Richmond's Sister City of Wakayama, Japan. The visit includes planning for a trip to Richmond later this year by a delegation from Wakayama and for commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the two cities' relationship in 2013.
The Japan trip is estimated to be $15,000, as airfares aren't covered by discount, according to Townsend.
