Sister city since: July 1, 1996

Overview

Bila Tserkva is a city in north-central Ukraine, the largest city in Kyiv Oblast. It is located on the banks of the Ross River, about 84 kilometers south from Kiev. Founded in 1032, the city, its name literally translated as “White Church”, has long been a regional center. In modern times, this city saw fast industrial development, includingmachinery manufacturing, tire production, furniture making, canning, flour milling, and knitwear production. One of the city’s scenic spots is Oleksandriya, a large park with numerous exotic botanical species, which was built in the 18th century.

Relations with Jingzhou

In June 1991, with the support of Hubei Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, the friendly exchanges between Jingzhou and Bila Tserkva started. On July 1, 1996, with the approval of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Jingzhou and Bila Tserkva officially established the sister city tie.

In September 1997, upon the invitation of Bila Tserkva Municipal Government, Jingzhou Municipal People’s Government sent a delegation to Ukraine to attend the celebration of the 965th anniversary of the city’s founding.

In June 2000, Bila Tserkva Municipal Government dispatched a delegation to Jingzhou to celebrate the “China Jingzhou Dragon Boat Festival”. In September, Bila Tserkva invited a delegation from the Jingzhou Municipal People’s Government to participate in the celebrations of the 968th anniversary of the city’s founding and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University.

In May 2001, at the invitation of the Jingzhou Municipal People’s Government, Bila Tserkva sent a government delegation to attend the Jingzhou Dragon Boat Festival, and exchanged ideas on the cooperation in textile industry, vegetable planting, TCM clinics and telecommunications. In July, a Jingzhou government delegation paid a visit to Bila Tserkva and conducted in-depth discussions and consultations on exchanges and cooperation in agriculture and trade.

In June 2017, a delegation from Bila Tserkva visited Jingzhou, and the two cities signed a memorandum of understanding on friendly exchanges, further consolidating and strengthening the exchanges and cooperation between both sides in agriculture, health care, science and technology, education and urban construction.

Over 30 plus years of friendly exchanges, the two cities have deepened their understanding and cemented friendship. The two cities are highly complementary in terms of industrial structure, and thus have huge potential for cooperation in trade, science and technology, culture, health care, and agriculture. It is expected that the two cities will step up pragmatic cooperation in these above-mentioned areas.