The Chinese city of Nanjing signed on Friday an MoU on friendly exchange and cooperation with the Danish city of Aarhus and the cooperation agreement on presenting of the Statue of Bernhard Arp Sindberg
By: Zhong Min Peng, Wang Yinquan, Wu Nan and Henning Sandberg T. Kruse Emanuel S. Okholm
Photographer: RoyalPress Zhong Min Peng
Good information on Nanjing the city
The signing ceremony was held at the city hall of Aarhus
Present at the ceremony were Feng Tie, the Chinese ambassador to Denmark, Li Hong, cultural counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Denmark, Zhang Li, head of the Chinese Cultural Center in Copenhagen, Peng Zhengang, deputy director of the Information Office of Nanjing Municipal Government, Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus, and Rabih Azad-Amah, Deputy Mayor of Aarhus
The signing of the MoU is expected to give a strong impetus to the mutual understanding, enhance the friendship and promote the exchange and cooperation between the two sides
Both sides have agreed on advancing toward the goal of a twinning relationship on the basis of mutual exchange and cooperation by carrying out and supporting inter-government visit and the exchanges and cooperation in scientific research, education and healthcare, peace city building, smart city promotion, innovation and entrepreneurship, culture and other aspects so as to shore up the competence for the two municipal governments to serve their economic and social development goals
The “Nanjing-Aarhus” Twin Cities Friendship Promo, produced by students from the Film & Transmedia Academy of Aarhus-based VIA University, was premiered at the signing ceremony
Peng Zhengang presented Jacob Bundsgaard a long scroll of the rubbing made of the city wall bricks of Nanjing. The scroll is 350 cm long and 14 cm wide
Peng and Liang Xuefeng, the creator of the embroidery portrait of the Queen of Denmark, presented Rabih Azad-Amah an embroidery portrait of Sindberg
When interviewed by Zhong Min Peng, Danish Royal photographer, Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus said: For Aarhus, China is an important part of its development of international relations. When visiting the sister city of Harbin in China, Aarhus has also reached a cooperation agreement in the field of clean technology. The city of Aarhus is clearly expanding its work. Nanjing is the second largest economic growth center in eastern China. The signing of the agreement on the Sindberg Statue and cooperation will create a link catering to the interests of the commercial society. Connection is essential when doing business in China. The history of Aarhus and Nanjing gave Aarhus a special status and closely linked the two cities, and both cities now want to develop this relationship
When interviewed by Zhong Min Peng, Danish Royal photographer, Rabih Azad-Amah, deputy mayor of Aarhus, in charge of culture, said: You interviewed me many times last year, you are my friend. Nanjing has a close relationship with Aarhus. The story that took place in 1937 is the background of the close relationship between Aarhus and Nanjing. During the Nanjing Massacre, the invading Japanese troops slaughtered as many as 300,000 Chinese. Bernhard Arp Sindberg tried his best to save thousands of Chinese. He was later called a friend of China and is still a famous hero in China. Denmark is a small country and China is a big country. The city of Aarhus has many practical needs abroad
Located on the coast of Jutland, Aarhus is Denmark’s second largest city and main port. The population of Aarhus is 335,700 (2017), including 269,000 urban residents, making it the second largest metropolitan area in Denmark after Copenhagen
Translated by Wang Yinquan 王银泉, English media coordinator of the Aarhus exhibition project with the Nanjing delegation and a TV documentary on Sindberg, professor of Nanjing Agricultural University.
Wu Nan 邬楠 contributed to the Chinese version of this report
