WINCHESTER maintained its strong China connection as two delegations visited the city.

The visits come as Winchester City Council is creating a new tourism web portal in Chinese and it is hoped the visits will strengthen the city’s ties to China.

The first delegation came from Hubei province in the south-east and explored the links between culture and the economy.

The group managed to fit in an impromptu tour of Winchester Cathedral, following a presentation by the Rev Canon Dr Roly Riem about the Cathedral’s history and role in the cultural life of the area.

The second visit came from officials from Zhejiang Province, who found out how local government in the UK is harnessing IT to deliver services for residents.

Winchester already has strong links with China through the School of Art, a campus of the University of Southampton in the city which has a collaborative enterprise in Dalian, one of China’s most affluent regions, home to a large number of hi-tech enterprises and China’s long-established international fair for the fashion and textile industry.

Both universities in Winchester reach out to overseas students, with growing numbers of Chinese enrolments reflecting the appeal of the city as a safe and attractive place with relevant, modern courses.

Winchester City Council head of tourism Ellen Simpson said: “We are invisible to the Chinese world at present. That’s more than 21 million people. The number of tourists visiting the UK from China has more than doubled in the past few years, up from 89,000 in 2009 to 185,000 in 2014, making the country one of the UK’s fastest-growing tourism markets. Research shows that they love the romance of the UK, the museums and the landscape. They also stay longer and spend more than many other visitors. Winchester should definitely be part of this.”

Winchester City Council’s portfolio holder for local economy Cllr James Byrnes said: “Winchester has welcomed a number of groups of Chinese officials over the last couple of years, and in December we had another inquiry from an Anglo-Chinese couple seeking to create a new twinning relationship.

“At a time when David Cameron and George Osborne are seeking to build links with China for long-term economic advantage, I am interested to see how we might explore this at a more local level, particularly working with the Local Enterprise Partnerships and chamber of commerce.”

“We are currently taking stock of the contacts we have made. Whatever our direction of travel, we have had some fascinating cultural experiences – characterised by humour and goodwill on both parts, however little language we share in common.”