The twinning relation between Lincolnshire County Council and Hunan Provincial Government sets out a fundamental framework based on which a key objective is to initiate and develop bilateral exchanges across sectors of mutual interest and benefit. A series of efforts have been dedicated to this over years. Here outlines a typical one.
In November 2019, forums engaging bilateral stakeholders are hosted in Hunan to facilitate discussions and exchanges in education, agriculture, tourism, science and technology etc. over two days. 30+ Lincolnshire delegates join the visits. Four MoUs are signed and witnessed by Cllr. Colin Davie Executive Councillor of Lincolnshire County Council and Mr Xu Dazhe Governor of Hunan Provincial Government on developing Lincolnshire-Hunan Twinning Five Year Plan and bilateral collaboration between agri-food business parks, vocational training colleges, primary schools.
CBRI, commissioned by Lincolnshire County Council as the Council’s Consultant on China Affairs since 2016, leads the planning and delivering of the forums. CBRI’s main responsibilities include:
- Planning full itinerary for two days including provincial level senior official leader meetings, sector exchange forums, site visits, business matching event, cultural visits.
- Drafting MoUs and speaking notes for the Council and Lincolnshire stakeholders.
- Shadowing Cllr. Colin Davie Executive Councillor of the Council at all activities, drafting speaking notes and providing live advice on all aspects and levels
- Coordinating on behalf of the Council as point of contact with relevant government departments in Hunan, e.g., Foreign Affairs Office, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Department of Culture and Tourism, Department of Commerce, Department of Science and Technology, etc.
- Supporting the Council to coordinate with Lincolnshire stakeholders, British Consulate General in Guangzhou and third-party partners.
- Facilitating and troubleshooting at all levels
