Haimen has a population of about one million people and is located in Jiangsu Province in China’s east.

The city already has strong links with Bendigo through existing school exchange programs.

The delegation, which includes representatives from the Bendigo Sister Cities Community Committee, returns on September 20.

They will meet with Mayor Yang Caoming and other local government officials and visit Haimen Dongzhou Middle School, which has strong existing links with Bendigo South East College, Bendigo Senior Secondary College and Camp Hill Primary School. They will also tour local textile manufacturers and the new port area.

Cr Lyons said a Friendship relationship with Haimen had the potential to deliver tangible benefits for both cities.

“Our links with China date back to the gold rush days when the number of Chinese people living in Bendigo represented some 20 per cent of the local population,” he said.

“Today a number of their descendants remain and the Chinese culture is celebrated through local festivals and the famous Dai Gum San precinct featuring spectacular Chinese gardens and the renowned Golden Dragon Museum.

“Greater Bendigo already has strong educational linkages with the Haimen Dongzhou Middle School.  The delegation will enable us to determine what benefits will flow for Greater Bendigo and Haimen if we proceed with this Friendship relationship and assess a willingness of all parties to ensure the relationship bears fruit for everyone involved.”

The delegation will look at possible benefits arising from a Friendship relationship with Haimen, including:

* Growing business opportunities, including new markets for local Bendigo produce

* Increasing the proportion of Chinese tourists that visit the Bendigo region when travelling to Victoria

* Expanding already successful school exchange programs to include more education providers in Greater Bendigo

* Developing an active arts and cultural exchange program that may involve participation in the Bendigo Easter Festival, exhibition exchanges with the Bendigo Chinese Museum and classes in martial arts and Chinese music

* A formal relationship with Haimen would also reflect the goals of the Victorian State Government as Haimen is located in the Chinese Province of Jiangsu, which has had a Sister State relationship with Victoria since 1979. This relationship provides a platform for Victoria’s commercial, cultural, educational and government-to-government activities in China.

It is expected Cr Lyons will invite representatives from Haimen to visit Bendigo next year to formalise the Friendship relationship.

This visit will coincide with the Bendigo Easter Festival, which features a number of events celebrating Chinese culture.