Councillor Jess Jennings funded his own fact-finding trip to China last month where he met government and trade officials in the north-eastern city of about 1.3 million people, and came away convinced Bathurst has nothing to lose from trying to cement a formal relationship.

Cr Jennings prepared a comprehensive report on the trip for his council colleagues – including recommendations on education, tourism, agriculture and manufacturing – and the next step will be for the proposed sister city relationship to be discussed at a working party.

Yangquan officials have also indicated their interest in pursuing a relationship with Bathurst and the issue is expected to be formally discussed at a local meeting in January.

Cr Jennings yesterday said he hoped council would agree to continue pursuing closer links to China and, in particular, Yangquan.

“The next formal step is to go to a working party for council to consider its response,” Cr Jennings said.

“The first step would likely be the establishment of a friendship city relationship which may then be progressed to a sister city relationship over time.”

Bathurst already has a sister city relationship with the Japanese city of Ohkuma, but it is not unusual for regions to have more than one sister city at a time.

A devastating tsunami and nuclear meltdown in Ohkuma in 2011 has changed the nature of Bathurst’s relationship with that region, but Cr Jennings said economic links to Ohkuma had never been a priority. In contrast, he sees a relationship with Yangquan as being heavily focused on economics.

“Given China is rapidly heading towards becoming the world’s largest economy, it makes sense for Bathurst to have a portal into that economy,” he said.

“I want to see Bathurst Regional Council become a facilitator with local businesses to investigate opportunities and there could be other benefits, as well.

“Council is still tossing up the idea of a technology park in the city and there’s no reason why some sound investment for that could not come from China.

“And a relationship with Yangquan would not mean we deal exclusively with Yangquan. It’s a foot in the door for any dealings with China.”

Cr Jennings made contact with Yangquan officials through the Australian International Trade Association, a networking body charged with fostering links between the two nations.

Cr Jennings said he sent a brief to AITA outlining what Bathurst had to offer and AITA suggested Yangquan as a suitable counterpart.

“This has all been tackled pretty strategically – it was not just a matter of sticking a pin in a map and seeing what I could come up with,” he said. “Hopefully by the end of February we will have a pretty clear indication of what our council will want to do.

“My original report was approved by councillors without amendment so I get the impression no one is against pursuing this.”

YANGQUAN is a city of about 1.3 million people in the north-east of China.

Despite the massive population difference, Councillor Jess Jennings said the region was similar to Bathurst in many ways.

“It has a central park with a lake which is similar to Machattie Park’s duck pond, though a little bigger,” Cr Jennings said.

“Around the park there is a bit of a CBD with a low-rise business and residential area and the region then spreads out into an agricultural and residential landscape.”

Cr Jennings said the Yangquan region was also home to a number of tourist attractions.

“It’s a bit of a tourist destination because there are five or six different attractions, including a section of the Great Wall of China,” he said.

“Other local sites are to do with ancient Chinese myths and legends, and there are a few temples up in the mountains, which are a bit like the Blue Mountains.

“Yangquan is by no means one of China’s biggest holiday destinations like a Gold Coast here in Australia but, again, in that way it is similar to Bathurst.”