Hainan and Seychelles seek to boost relations |19 May 2012

Yesterday morning the delegation, led by Yu Xun, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Hainan committee, called on Vice-President Danny Faure at State House.

The delegation was accompanied by the Chinese ambassador to Seychelles Shi Zhongjun and the mayor of Victoria Jacqueline Moustache-Belle.

Speaking after meeting Vice-President Faure, Mr Yu described the talks as “in-depth”.
“With the vice-president we had in-depth exchanges of ideas over economic, social and cultural cooperation between Hainan and Seychelles, in particular cooperation between Haikou and Victoria,” said Mr Yu.

“I believe this visit will bring the cooperation between Haikou and Victoria to new heights,” added Mr Yu.

Haikou is the provincial capital of the province of Hainan and it has a twinning agreement with Victoria since 2007.
Victoria has benefitted a lot from numerous exchanges and gifts from Haikou.

Last year, Haikou city donated US $2,000 to the 8th Indian Ocean Island Games fundraising committee and an expert in coconut shell handicraft from the city was in Seychelles to train local artisans.

The delegation, who arrived in the country on Thursday, has also made a donation of 200 table tennis and 200 badminton rackets to the National Sports Council.

The delegation leaves tomorrow after having had fruitful discussions with Mrs Moustache-Belle about other possible areas of cooperation.