The Wuhan-Manchester partnership dates back to 1986, when a Manchester City Council friendship delegation first visited the central Chinese city. Over the past four decades, the two cities have developed strong ties across government, education, business, culture, and sports, becoming one of the earliest China-UK city partnerships to establish reciprocal offices, exchange representatives, and promote cooperation in science and technology.

MANCHESTER, Britain, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Performers from South-Central Minzu University captivated audiences at Halle St Peter's in Manchester on Monday night with Chinese folk songs and dances, kicking off an eight-month program marking the 40th anniversary of the sister-city partnership with Wuhan.

The Wuhan-Manchester partnership dates back to 1986, when a Manchester City Council friendship delegation first visited the central Chinese city. Over the past four decades, the two cities have developed strong ties across government, education, business, culture, and sports, becoming one of the earliest China-UK city partnerships to establish reciprocal offices, exchange representatives, and promote cooperation in science and technology.

In a congratulatory message read at the opening ceremony, Wuhan Mayor Xiong Zhengyu highlighted the long-standing relationship, noting that the two cities have maintained close exchanges and productive cooperation. He pointed to recent progress in sustainable urban development, clean energy, trade promotion, joint education initiatives, youth exchanges, and sports collaboration.

Chinese Consul General in Manchester Tang Rui said the anniversary had already generated a series of practical projects in trade, cultural exchange, and clean energy. He added that the city-to-city relationship is expected to gain fresh momentum this year, expressing confidence that cooperation across multiple sectors will continue to expand.

For Manchester officials, the anniversary is not just about looking back.

Lisa Turner, international policy and partnerships lead at Manchester City Council, said this year offers an opportunity both to reflect on past achievements and to shape future cooperation.

"Arts, education, culture, innovation and economic development are really where I expect the focus to be this year," she told Xinhua.

Turner, who was born in Manchester, noted that Wuhan and Manchester share more than official ties. Both cities have undergone significant regeneration and post-industrial transformation, albeit at different scales. She also recalled being struck by Wuhan's greenery and the warmth and openness of its people, qualities she said reminded her of home.

David Houliston, head of city policy at Manchester City Council, also reflected on his first visit to Wuhan in 2016 during the 30th anniversary celebrations of the partnership.

"Wuhan was the first Chinese city I ever visited," he said. "Each time I return, what stands out most is how friendly people are. I've seen young volunteers at major events taking real pride in showcasing their city."

This year's anniversary program has been designed as an eight-month series of exchanges rather than a single commemorative week, Houliston explained. "We opened with a cultural event and will conclude in November with a clean energy-focused event," he added.

According to Rhys Whalley, chair of the Manchester China Forum, this broad engagement is what has made the Wuhan-Manchester relationship so durable.

In an increasingly complex and challenging world, cities have a really important role to play, he said. He added that there is significant scope to deepen collaboration in climate response, research and development, and commercial exchange as both cities pursue "a cleaner, greener, and fairer future."

Giles Mohan, professor of international development at The Open University, also told Xinhua that Manchester's cooperation with Wuhan has worked because it was built as a long-term relationship supported not only by formal agreements, but also by local government, universities, businesses and the Chinese community.

Mohan noted that Greater Manchester had hosted more than 10,000 students from the Chinese mainland by 2023. Education is one of the most stable pillars of the relationship.

Mohan's research team, which also includes Weiwei Chen and Filippo Boni, also said the two cities also cooperates in areas such as hydrogen, green development and water resilience. One example is Wuhan's "Sponge City" approach, which has informed planning at Manchester's West Gorton Park.

Rachel Eyre, head of advanced manufacturing and low carbon at Invest Manchester, said China remains an important market for the city, and a source of ideas in future-facing industries including wind and solar energy, electric vehicles, and battery technology.

She added that Greater Manchester's ambition to become a carbon-neutral city-region by 2038 could benefit from closer cooperation with Chinese partners, noting that twin-city relationships not only support trade and investment but also build long-term people-to-people connections to sustain cooperation.