Kerry Prendergast (4th from left), chairman of the New Zealand Film Commission and former mayor of Wellington, visits Xiamen, Fujian province, from Sept 7 to 9. [Photo/fao.xm.gov.cn]

I hope to promote cooperation in film and television between Xiamen and Wellington, said Kerry Prendergast, chairman of the New Zealand Film Commission and former mayor of Wellington, capital of New Zealand.

Prendergast made the comments during a meeting with Ye Chonggeng, director of the Publicity Department of Xiamen, on Sept 8.

She said that this is her fourth time to visit Xiamen and she has witnessed the deepening of relations between the two cities since they became sister-cities in 1987.

Prendergast invited Xiamen to organize a delegation to Wellington as well.

New Zealand is home to a world-leading film and television industry, especially when it comes to the digital post processing of films, special effects and talent training, said Ye.

He hopes to strengthen cooperation with New Zealand in the industry in a bid to construct Xiamen into a model city of high quality film and television industry in China.

On the morning of Sept 8, the first day of the four-day 2019 China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), Prendergast attended the opening ceremony of the New Zealand pavilion and delivered a speech.

She said that Xiamen and Wellington have been improving economic, trade, and cultural ties, and cited Wellington Street and Wellington Corner in Xiamen as evidence of this.

Prendergast welcomed Xiamen residents to visit Wellington and New Zealand.

During their stay in Xiamen, the New Zealand delegation also visited Xiamen University and Xiamen Seashine Group to seek educational and economic cooperation.