Guangdong and Nova Scotia establish sister relations

South China's Guangdong province and Canada's Nova Scotia province have agreed to establish sister relations, as "the maturing bilateral relations are benefiting both". 

China has shown great vision for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The projects in the Pearl River Delta, including those for improving the water quality of rivers, send a right message to the world, said Stephen McNeil, premier of Nova Scotia, to the media on Monday.

The shift in global trade has not impacted bilateral trade relations, which started in 2013 and are about diversifying Nova Scotia's economy, he said. 

"Nova Scotia is a trading province and we want to trade with the Greater Bay Area in China. We believe that will be beneficial to both," he said.

Talks on opening direct flights between Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, and Halifax, Nova Scotia's capital, have continued and more tourists traveling between the two provinces should benefit the operation of such flights, he said.

Sister relations between the two provinces also involve ocean-related development, with Nova Scotia being a major part of Canada's ocean supercluster strategy.

More than trade, which involves the export of seafood and agricultural products to China, bilateral cooperation has covered education and culture.

Three universities in Nova Scotia have reached reciprocal agreements with the branch of Beijing Normal University in Zhuhai. About 41 percent of all international students in Nova Scotia are from China.