N E W S L E T T E R June 2018
SCNZ Youth Tour: China By Michael O’Neill, SCNZ Youth Subcommittee Eight outstanding high school students representing the Wellington region travelled to China for the inaugural Sister Cities Youth Tour from 16 to 27 April. The Youth Tour, aimed at immersing delegates in the cultural, social, educational and business life of the Wellington region’s sister cities in China, saw the group visit five cities: Beijing, Taizhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Xiamen. Led by SCNZ Youth Subcommittee members and fluent Mandarin speakers Elisha Hsiao and Michael O’Neill, the eight Year 11 to Year 13 high school students from Wellington Girls’ College, Queen Margaret College, Hutt International Boys’ School, and Chilton Saint James School took the unique opportunity not only to develop their own leadership skills but also gain firsthand experience of different aspects of life in modern China while promoting our New Zealand’s Sister Cities relationships. Starting in Beijing, delegates had the opportunity for a Q&A session with the NZ Deputy Ambassador David Hope and Second Secretary Thomas Appleton in which they learned about the New Zealand-China relationship. They then got to visit some of Beijing’s most famous sights including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. The delegation then travelled by high speed train to Taizhou, a Hutt Sister City, where they visited China
Medical City and Jiangsu Province Taizhou High School while staying with local homestay families. They then went to Shanghai where they met with a number of successful locally-based New Zealanders, learning about the study and work life of China, followed by a visit to the Bund and finally a seminar and Q&A session with the CEO of major Chinese investment firm Tronfund. In Hangzhou, a city famous for its beautiful West Lake, delegates stayed with local families and experienced the daily life of high school students in China, participating in classes and sharing aspects of New Zealand culture with Chinese students. The final destination, Xiamen, featured a visit to the VUW-partnered Xiamen University and a day of exchange activities with one of the top middle schools in Xiamen. Sister Cities New Zealand launched its Youth Subcommittee in April 2016 when it celebrated the 35th anniversary of its establishment. The Subcommittee initiated the Youth Tour and started planning later in 2016 with full support and partial funding from the SCNZ Board. As a by-youth-for-youth engagement programme for young New Zealanders, the Tour has enjoyed the enthusiastic support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wellington City Council, Hutt City Council, Asia New Zealand Foundation, Where’s Charlie and the New Zealand China Friendship Society Wellington Branch.