Fuzhou and its sister city Honolulu held a video conference focusing on urban waste management on November 19.

Participants of the conference included Andria Tupola, a member of the Honolulu City Council; Michael Formby, managing director of the City and County of Honolulu; Roger Babcock, director of the Department of Environmental Services; Zhang Wei, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Fuzhou Municipal People's Government; Lin Changsheng, deputy director of the Urban Management Committee of the Fuzhou Municipal People's Government; and Zheng Yanbin, director of the Fuzhou's Hongmiaoling Waste Comprehensive Treatment Center.

Representatives from Fuzhou and Honolulu engage in a video conference discussing urban waste management on November 19. [Photo provided to bondwithkuliang.org.cn]

Zhang Wei began by highlighting the extensive exchanges and cooperation between Fuzhou and Honolulu in areas such as trade and culture since they officially established a sister city relationship in 2021. Lin Changsheng followed with an introduction to Fuzhou's overall approach to waste management, emphasizing the construction and development of the Hongmiaoling Circular Economy and Ecological Industrial Park.

Andria Tupola noted that as the capital and a major port city of Hawaii, Honolulu shares many similarities with Fuzhou. Reflecting on her visit to Fuzhou in June and this subsequent virtual exchange, she expressed interest in learning from Fuzhou's "Hongmiaoling experience" to improve urban sanitation management and foster sustainable development in both cities.

The two sides then exchanged insights on pathways to achieving zero landfill waste, technical details for methane removal from recycled products, and more. Both cities agreed to use the video conference as a springboard for deeper collaboration, including sharing sustainable urban development practices and exploring joint projects.

The meeting underscored their shared commitment to strengthening the sister city relationship and achieving mutually beneficial development in broader and more profound areas.