Kilkenny County Council is to receive a high level delegation from China in Kilkenny within the next two months in a move that will see Kilkenny twinned with the city of Suzhou in China.
County manager Joe Crockett said that he is very excited about the prospect of the twinning, which has come about following the establishment of Glanbia Nutritionals manufacturing facility in Shanghai.
“We received news this week that the city of Suzhou is interested in twinning with Kilkenny and we are delighted to progress this plan as the region is one of China’s top tourism destinations and it plays host to some of the country’s greatest tourist attractions,” said Mr Crockett.
Glanbia located in the city of Suzhou in 2008 and now is home to a 1500m2 site which specialises in developing value-adding nutritional solutions based primarily on vitamins and minerals for a range of sectors including functional foods and beverages, nutraceuticals, performance nutrition, dietary supplements and infant nutrition.
Mr Crockett told the members of Kilkenny County Council on Monday, “A delegation from China will visit Kilkenny in March and we are very excited about this prospect of a twinning with Suzhou. This city is home to UNESCO World Heritage sites and to the Tomb of King He Lu and the Tiger Hill Pagoda which has become a symbol of the city and has the distinction of being China’s ‘leaning tower’.
The twinning is part of Kilkenny Local Authorities’ Invest Kilkenny project which is an initiative by Kilkenny Local Authorities to promote the county and region as a location for investment at home and abroad. China is seen as a key market to target and the twinning project is considered a huge step forward in progressing the links between China and inward investment to Kilkenny.
Cllr Tom Maher welcomed the news and said, “we should avail of every opportunity to promote Kilkenny in China — it is very much of mutual benefit and I for one am absolutely thrilled at this news. It is a shot in the arm for Kilkenny and for Glanba,” he said.
