The BC/Guangdong Business Council (BCGBC), and it's sister organization, the Vancouver/Guangzhou Friendship Society (VGFS) have 30 years of experience in “twinning arrangements” and today continue to expand the robust relationship with southern China’s most industrious and prosperous region with economic development and cultural activities. A significant highlight of this relationship was the organization and hosting of the 20th Anniversary Sister City and 10th anniversary sister province celebrations in 2005, a celebration that brought over 700 delegates, including Governor Huang Hua Hua to Vancouver and execution of simultaneous events including; Sustainability Forums, Health Forums, the Arts & Culture exhibitions, and multiple exchanges between respective political, business, and education delegations between Asia and BC.

In cooperation with BC Provincial Government, the BCGBC has developed a strategic Twinning mission for November 2009 to address the following:

  • The “Gap” between the development of the “Twinning” concept and in the development of implementation strategies for the Province of BC through its’ communities.
  • The need to develop clear and concise “Implementation Tools” for Communities to; evaluate, understand, develop, and act upon Twinning arrangements.
  • For BC Communities to access a shared “network” of resources, and for these Communities to share practices and strategies in approaching, executing and maintaining Twinning relationships.


Detailed Mission Objectives:


The following represents comparative areas of experience and experiential learning to be gained by participating in the BC I Asia Twinning Mission in November 2009. The intended collective experience will assist the participants to develop a “practical knowledge-base” designed to inform a “community of practice program in the development of Twinning relations” and for the development of a robust set of tools for BC Communities to coordinate with the overall BC Asia-Pacific initiatives.


Area of Focus : : Learning Objectives:

  1. The Form and Nature of a Twinning Agreement:
    • Developing the “Twinning” Template: The standardized Components, Format and Structure of a Twinning
    Agreement“Scoping-out” Potential Partners: Key essentials in considering Twinning Partners
    • Executing the “Arrangement”: Key essentials in executing the “Arrangement”
    • Administration: Key essentials in maintaining the “Arrangement”
  2. Comparative Analysis of Economic & Community Profiles:
    • History and Experience in Southern China/Province of Guangdong: transferable lessons to the Asia-Pacific region
    • Range of experience and building an Asia-Pacific network: First hand experience in meeting Chinese communities
    (see program outline), from City officials to business, educational, and Cultural Leaders
    • Activity and experience in BC: positioning your community and building your community’s
    profile.
  3. Perspectives on the Business Plan of Twinning Arrangements:
    • Cost benefits: factors to consider
    • Conducting delegation visits: cultural and business perspectives
    • Hosting delegations: cultural and business perspectives
    • Maintenance of Twinning Arrangements: beyond initial resources
  4. Developing “Quick Hits”- Building Early Success:
    • market intelligence – forecasts, experience, knowledge and history
  5. Growing the BC Twinning Business Plan – Establishing and Sustaining a BC Legacy:
    • BC Communities for the Asia Pacific century: building resilient communities in BC
    • Establish the ongoing legacy: the 5 year plan / 10 year plan / and beyond


Excerpts from Dr. Graham E. Johnson, President BC-Guangdong Business Council
Municipalities in Guangdong Province
Administrative Units: General Introduction


Administrative units in Guangdong parallel those in China as a whole, which broadly consist of provinces, municipalities, and counties under the formal control of a governor, a mayor, and a county head. Urban settlements are termed "municipalities" (shi). Municipalities are further divided into "districts" or "wards" (qu), which in their turn are composed of "streets" (jiedao) and “communities” (shequ), which are firmly incorporated into urban governance, and have major responsibilities for public security (policing) and aspects of the health care system, most significantly monitoring birth control measures. The lowest level of government in the rural areas is the “township” (zhen), which is broadly composed of a number of “villages”.

Administrative redefinition has been constant since the beginning of the reform period in the early 1980s. Starting in the late 1970s in Guangdong, the new prefectural-level municipalities of Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou were formed. They were shortly designated as Special Economic Zones [SEZ], in which special planning rights were instituted, and extensive efforts were made to encourage outside investment.

In 2008, there were 21 prefectural-level municipalities, 23 county-level municipalities, 44 counties (including the three "autonomous counties"), 54 urban districts, and 1,155 townships.

For more information: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/guangdong/

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