Columbia will add Chinese sister city
Agreement with Liyang in Jiangsu province will be made official this fall
The search began four years ago when a local representative of a city in China took scouting trips to Rockville and Frederick, among other places.
But it was input from a Howard County resident that helped make Columbia the top choice in China’s hunt for an American sister city.
Liyang, a city of 889,000 people in Jiangsu province — about 150 miles west of Shanghai — will officially become Columbia’s sister city sometime this fall.
It’s the fifth such relationship established by the Columbia Association to promote cultural, educational and artistic exchanges since Columbia first signed on with Cergy- Pontoise, France, in 1977.
In October, a letter of intent to develop a sister city relationship was signed in China by Liyang Vice Mayor Xueqin Xu and Dick Boulton, vice chair of the Columbia Association’s board of directors, during an extended visit by a 21-person Howard County delegation. Huaquin Xu, mayor of Liyang, will come to Columbia at a date to be determined, to officially seal the agreement.
Boulton said establishing a people- See SISTER CITY, page 6
But it was input from a Howard County resident that helped make Columbia the top choice in China’s hunt for an American sister city.
Liyang, a city of 889,000 people in Jiangsu province — about 150 miles west of Shanghai — will officially become Columbia’s sister city sometime this fall.
It’s the fifth such relationship established by the Columbia Association to promote cultural, educational and artistic exchanges since Columbia first signed on with Cergy- Pontoise, France, in 1977.
In October, a letter of intent to develop a sister city relationship was signed in China by Liyang Vice Mayor Xueqin Xu and Dick Boulton, vice chair of the Columbia Association’s board of directors, during an extended visit by a 21-person Howard County delegation. Huaquin Xu, mayor of Liyang, will come to Columbia at a date to be determined, to officially seal the agreement.
Boulton said establishing a people- See SISTER CITY, page 6
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