Sisterly Act: India's Pune And China's Jinhua To Script A New Story Together

A recent meeting between officials of the Jinhua Municipal Corporation and their Pune counterparts may have marked a new chapter in Sino-Indian ties. India's Pune and China's Jinhua pledged to become sister cities. Apart from forging new cultural ties between the two neighbouring countries, the move is also expected to help the cities develop in harmony.

PropGuide looks at the things you need to know about the concept of 'sister cities' and how the sister-city arrangement will help Pune.

What is a sister city project?

Under a sister city project, two geographies — they may be villages, cities, provinces or countries — develop commercial and cultural ties. While this gives the parties concerned the opportunity to learn about their different cultures, a sister city project also helps them seek assistance for future growth. A concept that originated during the World War-II to promote peace, sister city projects have been quite popular across the world, especially in Europe. In fact, it has been widely adopted in China, and many of its cities have been developing under twin-town partnerships with other cities from across the world.

How will the arrangement help Pune and Junhua?

Pune and Junhua have many things in common. Both are old cities with ancient cultural histories. While Jinhua's history dates back to the 2nd century BC, Pune has been around since as early as 6th century. The historical sites in the two cities attract thousands of tourists from across the world every year. While Pune is a hub for information technology & allied sectors and the automobile industry, Jinhua is known for its several manufacturing industries. Both cities are education hubs, too. While Pune is known as the Oxford of the East, Jinhua's premium universities attract students from around the world.

However, they are also different in a few ways. While Pune has a pleasant climate, Jinhua experiences hot humid summers and chilly winters. While Jinhua is technologically more advanced, Pune has a long way to go. The list is long.

So, even as they enhance their similarities through better coordination, they can also learn a lot from their contrasts. Pune, which is also part of the Centre's Smart Cities Mission, can gain from Jinhua's technological knowhow. A hub for textile and handicrafts, Jinhua can give Pune a tip or two to give a fillip to its industrial scene. Partnership programmes between the educational institutions of the two cities would also promote better education.

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