On September 12, Liu Zhiren, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Committee and Mayor, who participated in the Hunan Global Promotion Activity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, visited the South African Embassy in China and the Hungarian Embassy in China. He also held working talks with Mr. Thandukwazi Nyawose, the temporary representative and the economic counselor of the South African Embassy in China, and Mr. Oliver Joubert, vice-president and political counselor of the Hungarian Embassy in China.

Liu Zhiren holds working talks with Mr. Thandukwazi Nyawose, the temporary representative and the economic counselor of the South African Embassy in China.

Chenzhou City has a long history of contacts with South Africa. As early as 2003, Chenzhou City established an office in South Africa; on September 23, 2016, Chenzhou and Kimberley City, the capital of Northern Cape, South Africa, concluded as a friendly city; on September 23, 2017, South Africa's Northern Cape Governor Lucas led a delegation to Chenzhou City for exchange visits.

During the talks, Liu Zhiren briefly introduced the economic development of Chenzhou in recent years. Liu Zhiren said that the friendship between Chenzhou and South Africa has lasted for a long time. South Africa is one of Chenzhou's major international trading partners. Both sides have rich mineral resources and broad prospects for cooperation. Since the CMGE was held in Chenzhou in 2015, the representatives and exhibitors from Northern Cape Province have come to Chenzhou every year to participate in the CMGE. It was hoped that the two sides will complement each other's strengths, deepen cooperation and win-win cooperation in the fields of mineral mining, intensive processing, cultural education and exhibition industry.

Mr.Thandukwazi Nyawose introduced the agriculture, education, minerals and tourism in South Africa, and said that he would actively promote the development of friendly cities between Chenzhou City and Kimberley City. He also hoped that South Africa could strengthen cooperation between government and enterprises in Chenzhou and further deepen friendship.

Liu Zhiren holds working talks with Mr. Oliver Joubert, vice-president and political counselor of the Hungarian Embassy in China.

After the meeting with the South African Embassy in China, Liu Zhiren and his delegation came to the Hungarian Embassy in China. Chenzhou City and Pecs City of Hungary signed a letter of intent to establish friendly city relations in October 2018.

During the talks, Liu Zhiren introduced the situation of Chenzhou and planned the friendly cooperation between Chenzhou and Hungary. Liu Zhiren said that Chenzhou and Hungary have common advantages and characteristics in agriculture, geothermal, tourism and other aspects. At the same time, Hungary has world-class higher education resources. So far, 14 Nobel Prize winners have been trained, 10 of them from medicine and biotechnology. With the bridge of friendly city, he hoped that in the future, the two sides would strengthen cooperation in tourism, agriculture, medical treatment and education, and promote some projects.

Mr. Oliver Joubert first welcomed Liu Zhiren's visit on behalf of Hungarian Ambassador to China, Mr. Mate Imre PESTI. Subsequently, he introduced Hungary's advantages in education, agriculture, tourism and hot spring resources, and put forward suggestions on the development of friendly city relations in the next stage. Mr. Oliver Joubert said that the Hungarian Embassy would help Chenzhou and Pecs the gap and promote exchanges and cooperation between the two places.

Liu Zhiren and Tan Duzhe (fourth left), temporary representative of the South African Embassy in China and economic counselor.

Liu Zhiren and Mr. Oliver Joubert (second left), vice-president and political counselor of the Hungarian Embassy in China.