Peter Dietze, chairman of the Germany-China Friendship Association in Trier, visited Xiamen, eastern Fujian province, from Aug 3 to 8 to explore further cooperation between the two cities.

Li Xiaoping, director of Xiamen's Foreign Affairs Office, met with Dietze on Aug 6, when they discussed upcoming celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of friendly relations between Xiamen and Trier in 2020.

Li said that the Foreign Affairs Office will help organize the support activities for the celebration in Xiamen, including a performance of Trier's choir as well as picture exhibitions.

Dietze said Wolfram Leibe, mayor of Trier, plans to lead a delegation to Xiamen in November 2020 and the German city will also send a teenage football team to attend the International Youth Football Tournament in the coastal city next year.

During his stay in Xiamen, Dietze also visited two local universities, Xiamen University and Jimei University, to explore exchanges with them.

Trier started friendly exchanges with Xiamen in 2005 and one year later, the two cities signed a formal letter of intent to establish friendly relations. In 2010 they officially established sister-city relations.

With more than 100,000 habitants, Trier is the biggest city in the west Rhineland-Palatinate region and is also one of the oldest cities in Germany. People from all over the world come to enjoy its picturesque pedestrian zone, with its numerous small shops and historical facades.

Li Xiaoping (R), director of Xiamen's Foreign Affairs Office, meets with Peter Dietze, chairman of the Germany-China Friendship Association in Trier, on Aug 6. [Photo/fao.xm.gov.cn]