A delegation from Baoji City in Shaanxi Province, China, led by Deputy Mayor Fan Yiwen, visited the Cederberg municipal area and Langebaan on Friday 17 October.
A series of meetings is being facilitated by Harry Lu, Honorary Chair of the Vredenburg Business Forum, and held at the Shark Bay Hotel in Langebaan.
The Baoji delegation was warmly welcomed by Cederberg’s Executive Mayor Azrial Scheepers and municipal leaders.
The visit aimed to strengthen ties and explore the possibility of establishing a sister city relationship between Baoji and Cederberg.
Deputy Mayor Yiwen emphasised the delegation’s goal to deepen China-Africa friendship and promote cooperation.
She introduced Baoji as an ancient city with more than 8 000 years of history and a major industrial center in western China. Known as “China’s Titanium Valley”, the city specialises in manufacturing sectors such as petroleum equipment, auto parts and new materials.
Yiwen highlighted the complementary strengths of the Cederberg, which has a strong marine economy, a long coastline, and access to key ports such as Saldanha Bay. The region excelled in fisheries, agriculture and eco-tourism.
Despite cultural and geographical differences, Yiwen said both regions shared a common goal of development through cooperation. She proposed collaboration in fields such as manufacturing, renewable energy, agriculture, tourism, new materials and fisheries.
She also invited a return visit from the Cederberg delegation to Baoji to discuss project partnerships further.
Scheepers welcomed the Baoji delegation, describing the meeting as the start of a meaningful friendship between the two communities.
He introduced Cederberg as an area of the Western Cape, known for its natural beauty, biodiversity and strong agricultural sector. Key industries include eco-tourism, viticulture and fisheries, with a growing focus on green energy and sustainable investment.
Scheepers outlined three areas for future collaboration: cultural exchange, economic cooperation and municipal partnership. He emphasised shared values and mutual respect as the foundation for lasting cooperation. “Let us build a bridge of cooperation … for the benefit of future generations.”
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