Shandong Province in the People's Republic of China
31 October 2007
A delegation of the Western Cape Provincial Government, headed by Premier
Ebrahim Rasool and including five MECs, is in the Shandong Province of the
People's Republic of China this week to strengthen ties between the Western
Cape and Shandong.
The visit stems from a direct result of relations established in March 1998,
when a memorandum was signed between the respective governments. The focus
areas include cultural affairs, sport, education, health, tourism, transport
and public works.
The Cultural Affairs and Sport assignment will include a study of sport
schools, sailing, disability sports and a visit to a centre of excellence
(academy) dealing specifically with disability sport.
The education study will include developing teacher exchange programmes for
maths and science, Further Education and Training (FET) colleges and mari and
aquaculture.
The health study will include collaboration with regards to tuberculosis
(TB) and Chinese Traditional Medicine, a visit to a Jinan Hospital and the
Shandong Provincial Hospital, as this facility seems to have synergies with our
central and provincial hospitals.
It will also cover aspects such as traditional healing and support for
clinics in Qingdao; a visit to the Qingdao centre for Disease Control with
specific emphasis on HIV prevention and community empowerment, which are their
areas of expertise.
The tourism study will include looking at best practice exchanges with
regard to skills development; development of language proficiency with
concerning tourist guiding; and acquiring insight from Shandong on the "supply
side" and applying it to the labour intensive activities in the tourism
industry, which will assist the Western Cape in sustainable job creation.
The Transport and Public Works study will include looking at their bus
system and other modes of transportation; project management skills transfer
(expertise); minibus manufacturing plant; fleet automation or management
system; light-rail project (e.g. tram system); transport intelligence issues;
cement plant (infrastructure); alternative construction methods; funding for
emerging entrepreneurs; and technical skills for accelerated service
delivery.
The Premier and his Chinese counterparts will initiate further developments
on these collaborative activities and appraise the Shandong representatives of
the undertakings of the Western Cape Provincial Government.
The Premier has emphasised the need for identified collaborative activities
to now mature to a point where these could be visible to both provinces. The
various agreements have the potential to demonstrate a real exchange of value
for both Shandong and the Western Cape citizens.
Enquiries:
Gert Witbooi
Cell: 082 550 3938
Email: gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za
Issued by: Western Cape Provincial Government
31 October 2007
