Wuhan, Manchester to deepen cooperation in urban development

WUHAN - Central China's Wuhan City Circle and Greater Manchester in the UK have vowed to deepen cooperation in urban development and smart city construction.

Officials from the two sides made the announcement on Tuesday at the ongoing Greater Manchester-Wuhan City Circle Cooperation Summit held in Wuhan, Hubei province.

Greater Manchester is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the UK and comprises 10 metropolitan boroughs.

Similarly, Wuhan City Circle is a regional economic union with Wuhan at the center. It includes 9 cities within a 100-km radius.

"Both city regions share common challenges," said Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council at the summit. "This is a chance to identify our shared ambitions, our natural strengths and the opportunities we have to trade and do business together."

The Greater Manchester and Wuhan City Circle are facing the same challenges, including aging populations, unbalanced allocation of medical resources, traffic congestion and climate change, said Nick Whittingham, consul general of the British Consulate-General in Wuhan.

Liu Zhongchu, deputy secretary general of the provincial government of Hubei, said that Wuhan City Circle has a lot to learn from Greater Manchester, an area that has great experience in smart city construction.

The two sides are expected to cooperate more in fixing urban ills and promoting city development.

Wuhan city and the city of Manchester became sister cities in 1986 and have maintained close contact since then.