Leaders of three major cities on the Pacific rim, from China, New Zealand and the United States, gathered in Auckland on Monday for the second Tripartite Economic Summit to build a new form of international cooperation.
After a traditional Maori welcome, Auckland Mayor Len Brown spoke to more than 700 delegates from the three countries, saying the three cities, Auckland, Guangzhou and Los Angeles, all had strong growth in populations and economies.
Brown said in his speech that delegates were particularly looking to drive the high-tech sector "and wanting to make sure there's a strong connection between the cities of Los Angeles and Guanzhou and the city of Auckland."
"We are seeing a very high growth in visitors into Auckland and New Zealand from America and China, and we see a role in this tripartite for supporting our nation's focus in building strong economic relationships between China and America," said Brown.
The two-day event would involve business-matching, learning, sharing and really understanding the sense of what tripartite is, said the Auckland major.
"It is the triangle of the Pacific. We are the sons and daughters of the Pacific, proudly in the heart of global economic social cultural and environmental growth and wellbeing."
Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said the three cities would benefit from "resource-sharing, mutual complementarity and win-win cooperation."
"The three cities learn from each while negotiating strategies for future development expansively promoting practical sub-national cooperation between China the United States and New Zealand," Li told the delegates.
"The Chinese government attaches great importance to regional cooperation both between Chinese cities and between Chinese cities and international counterparts," she said.
"The successful cooperation between Guangzhou, of China, Los Angeles, of the United States, and Auckland, of New Zealand, sets a shining example of cooperation between sister cities."
Wang Dong, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou, said the tripartite agreement signed two years ago had created a new chapter in cooperation among the three cities.
The agreement had great potential for developing industrial ties in fields such as port logistics, films and animation and biopharmaceuticals, said Wang.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the three cities shared common problems, "traffic, infrastructure, air quality, housing."
"But these are the problems of cities that people want to be in, they're good problems to have and good problems to solve," said Garcetti.
