Clare County Council today hosted a visit by Chinese Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. He Xiangdong, to mark County Clare’s twinning relationship with Yunnan Province in the People’s Republic of China.
The relationship evolved from the visit of China’s Vice President to Clare in 2012, after which Clare County Council set about exploring the potential of establishing a twinning arrangement that fostered the development of closer industrial, tourism, farming, educational and cultural ties between Clare and China.
The link was formally established in 2015 when a delegation comprising officials and members of Clare County Council travelled to China where a relationship also was developed between the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark and the Stone Forest Geopark (Shilin Geopark) in Yunnan.
Yunnan Province, which has a population of more than 46 million, is in the far southwest of China and borders Vietnam, Laos, and Burma.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Councillor Tony O’Brien, and Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Pat Dowling, today welcomed Ambassador He Xiangdong to Clare County Council’s Corporate Headquarters at Áras Contae an Chláir in Ennis.
Cllr Tony O’Brien said: “A lot of work and time has been invested in nurturing the relationship between Clare and Yunnan Province and it was an honour to welcome the Ambassador to County Clare. Though separated by thousands of miles, the twinning relationship has already made significant strides towards bridging this gap through a shared spirit of cooperation, mutual understanding, exchange of knowledge and more importantly, friendship.”
The Cathaoirleach explained that the six-year-old twinning link has already led to numerous exchanges between Clare and Yunnan in the areas of education, commerce, and local government.
He continued: “While the COVID-19 Pandemic put a hold on exchange visits between the partners, Clare County Council has continued to maintain relations with Yunnan. We look forward to exploring new ways of further developing our relationship in the months and years ahead.”
In August 2015, a delegation from Kunming University visited the Medical School and the Irish World Music Centre, located on the Clare side of the University of Limerick (UL). Kunming University, which is Yunnan’s primary professional university with more than 17,000 students, is also home to an Irish Centre which was developed in 2012 to boost academic and cultural exchanges between Yunnan and Ireland.
In 2016, a high-level delegation from the People’s Government of Yunnan undertook a three-day visit to County Clare, a resident of County Clare was offered and took up a teaching position at Kunming University, and two Clare enterprises, Redbank Food Co. (Seafood Wholesaler) in New Quay and Wild Irish Seaweed Quilty, formed part of a Clare delegation to Yunnan to take part in China-South Asia Expo.
In 2017, the former Chinese Ambassador to Ireland visited Áras Contae an Chláir, while a delegation from the Department of Transport Administration, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, visited Ennis in 2018.
Pat Dowling, Chief Executive, Clare County Council, said: “The twinning relationship crucially provides Clare businesses with a gateway to learn about the Chinese market and explore potential new market opportunities.
“Furthermore, and in line with objectives in the County Clare Tourism Strategy 2030, the local authority and the wider tourism sector is working towards positioning Clare to be recognised internationally for its commitment to responsible tourism and sustainability. We also are exploring ways to promote Clare as a destination to future growth markets, including Asia and the People’s Republic of China.”
Leonard Cleary, Director of Services for Rural Development, Clare County Council, emphasised the importance of forging new socio-economic, cultural and tourism relations between Ireland and China.
Liam Conneally, Director of Services for Economic Development, Clare County Council, highlighted the established economic links between China and County Clare, especially the links between the Shannon Free Zone and the special economic zones in China. Mr. Conneally requested the Chinese Ambassador to assist County Clare to establish direct air transport links between Ireland, County Clare, and China, and he also highlighted the development of a cargo trans-shipment hub, as well as training and education in the aviation area, between Zhengzhou Universities and University of Limerick, Technical University of the Shannon, and University of Galway.
The Chief Executive Office of the Burren Ecotourism Network also met with Ambassador He Xiangdong and presented a gift of local Burren food produce, and an invite was extended to the Ambassador to visit the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark at a later date.