On February 6, Mayor Zhang Guangning attended the discussion of Guangzhou No. 4 Team during the 5th session of the 10th People's Congress of Guangdong Province. "Guangzhou is very interested in co-operation with Foshan city," said Mayor Zhang.

The concept of a "Guangzhou-Foshan Urban Circle" has been proposed for several years. The CPC Guangzhou Committee and the municipal government have formulated an urban development strategy that has called for the promotion of common development of both cities.

Mayor Zhang expressed confidence in the prosperity of the cooperative development of Guangzhou and Foshan. In 2005, Mr. Zhang visited Foshan and discussed with the Foshan municipal government the establishment of a special exchange program. The two sides reached common consensus on issues regarding industrial co-operation, water reserves and the connection of transport networks. They also agreed to establish hotlines between related governmental agencies. 

Mayor Zhang stated that for the next step, they would focus on the connection of road networks. One can now directly access Foshan city from Guangzhou's new airports and sea ports. In the future, buses will run between Guangzhou's new railway stations and Foshan city. 

The Guangzhou government work report for the year 2007 has proposed to adjust the urban layout; the 10th Foshan Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to co-operate with neighboring cities to reach win-win outcomes, and to fully use Guangzhou's airports, sea ports, railway stations, human resources and industrial advantages to serve Foshan's construction and development, said Zhu Lieyu, a member of the People's Congress of Guangdong Province. Thus, the two cities have common ground for further co-operation. 

Editor: Yan