St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, accompanied by business and community leaders, will visit two sister cities in Asia in November.
The delegation of up to two dozen people will go to Nagasaki, Japan, and Changsha, China, said mayoral aide Joe Spencer. The group will be gone from Nov. 10 to Nov. 20.
It will be Coleman's second trip to a sister city during his term. Last year a delegation went to Neuss, Germany. The purpose is to forge new business, cultural and educational ties in China and to maintain the strong relationship with Nagasaki, which has been St. Paul's sister city since 1955. Aside from trade and cultural meetings in Japan, Coleman will plant a tree in honor of former Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito, who was slain last year. The timing also provides a chance to see how China benefited by hosting the Olympics. St. Paul will have had a couple of months to review the effects of hosting another major event, the Republican National Convention. Spencer said benefits of the sister city program range from educational exchange programs to the Japanese garden at Como Park.
Coleman and Spencer will represent the city of St. Paul, and their visit will be paid for by the Capital City Partnership, a nonprofit group that promotes business in St. Paul and handles the city's sister city program. Early estimates put the cost at about $4,000 per person.
"These trips are packed," said Sarah Fossen, marketing director at the Capital City Partnership. "Every minute is programmed."
The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, St. Paul Port Authority, St. Paul Federation of Teachers and RiverCentre Visitors and Convention Authority have expressed interest in sending representatives, Spencer said. "The whole thing will be a cultural wonderland," he said.
Anyone interested in joining the delegation is encouraged to call 651-291-5609 or send an e-mail to sarah@capcitypartnership.com.
For more on St. Paul's sister cities, go to www.stpaulsistercities.org.
