Bursa becomes international friendship city of Ningbo

“Bursa is my hometown and Ningbo is my second hometown. Both of them are port cities with developed industries and profound cultural heritage. Now, they have finally become ‘sister cities’, and I am extremely excited!” said Erdem Oztuk, a Turkish “overseas publicity officer” of Ningbo and the founder of Ningbo Middle Road Import and Export Co., Ltd., to the reporter in Bursa on the evening of September 13, Beijing time. On that day, Ningbo and Bursa signed an agreement to establish friendly exchange relations with each other.

The establishment of the friendship between Ningbo and Bursa cannot be separated from the support of government departments from both places. Erdem, who is familiar with the local conditions and customs of both cities, made a wish to tie the knot between Ningbo and Bursa three years ago, and traveled around to help Ningbo expand its “circle of friends” to the “Belt and Road” area.

Tale of the two cities

Erdem is a “new Ningbonese”. In 2012, he graduated from Uludag University with a major in mechanical engineering and worked in airport construction in Turkey. The following year, he received a “special offer” from Ningbo.

The CIMTAS Group, a multinational company headquartered in Turkey, which has set up a steel structure manufacturing company in Beilun District of Ningbo, was willing to hire him as an engineer. Young Erdem was eager to explore the world, so he gladly accepted the offer and came alone to the unfamiliar city of Ningbo to start his career in China.

“Before coming to Ningbo, I knew almost nothing about this city except that it had a port. But when I stepped onto the land of Ningbo, I found that it was much bigger than I had imagined,” said Erdem. “I soon got accustomed to the life here. I like to make friends and travel on weekends. I have visited the Dongqian Lake, the Siming Mountain, and the Jiufeng Mountain. I also like picking up bayberries and eating seafood with the locals, and I have learned some Chinese.”

Erdem has also found that Ningbo is a city with unlimited business opportunities. There is a solid foundation in the manufacturing industry near the port and a complete industrial chain here. His hometown, Bursa, is the center of Turkey’s automobile industry. Many merchants there may ask him if there is any resource connection when they hear that he is in Ningbo. After several successful “docking” for them, he came up with the idea of integrating resources from the two cities and engaging in foreign trade business himself.

Finally, he made up his mind. In 2020, Erdem resigned to engage himself in foreign trade and start a business at the office space of the CEEC Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center in Ningbo.

“I really like the business culture of Ningbo. The foreign trade friends here are like family to me. They are willing to achieve mutual benefit and make the ‘cake’ bigger together,” said Erdem. This inclusive spirit of Ningbo businessmen has benefited him a lot and led him to think about ways to give back to Ningbo while benefiting more relatives and friends.

Building a “bridge” between the two cities

In 2021, Erdem became one of the first “overseas publicity officers of Ningbo” out of his familiarity and love for the city, when he came up with a “golden idea” to promote Ningbo, that is to make Bursa and Ningbo international friendship cities.

In his opinion, Ningbo and Bursa have a lot in common.

“From a cultural perspective, Bursa is a western terminus of the ancient Silk Road, while Ningbo is a starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. Bursa is an important port city along the Black Sea coast, and Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is the world’s largest port, serving as a gateway for the global goods to enter China. Bursa is an industrial hub at the junction of Asia and Europe, while Ningbo is an advanced manufacturing city. The two cities have great complementary advantages.” In an interview with the media, Erdem mentioned the idea of docking Ningbo and Bursa, and the report quickly caught the attention of the Foreign Affairs Office of Ningbo Municipal People’s Government. The staff of the office contacted Erdem as soon as possible to express Ningbo’s willingness to expand external exchanges and cooperation and establish the relation of international friendship city with Bursa. As a result, the  relevant matters were soon put on the agenda.

“I then contacted the relevant officials of the Bursa Municipal Government, and they also wished to strengthen exchanges with Ningbo. After multiple rounds of communication and negotiation, our dream has finally come true!” said Erdem. Over the years, every time he went back home for business trips or visits, he never forgot to follow up on this matter, even during the epidemic period.

Erdem expects that the establishment of this relation will not only consolidate bilateral economic and trade exchanges, but also promote comprehensive cooperation between the two cities in such fields as education, culture and tourism.

On the day of the signing of the agreement, a picture exhibition on the culture and landscapes of Ningbo was launched in Bursa, showcasing the local customs and traditions of Ningbo. At the same time, the 3rd Bursa International Food Festival was held in full swing, and the Ningbo booth on site attracted a lot of local residents.

“Currently, international friendship cities have become an important platform for Ningbo’s external exchanges and cooperation,” said a person in charge from Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office. “The prospect for cultural exchanges between Ningbo and Bursa is bright, and we believe that with joint efforts from multiple parties, the win-win cooperation between the two cities will reach a new level.”