REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YOGYAKARTA -- Yogyakarta and Dalian, a city in China's Liaoning Province, have signed an agreement to cooperate in areas such as tourism, culture, education, trade, and industry.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday during a visit of Dalian's envoys to Yogyakarta. "The signing of this letter of intent becomes the first step of the two cities to start cooperation. Hopefully, the cooperation will benefit the two sides," Acting Mayor of Yogyakarta Sulistyo said here on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Head of Foreign Affairs Office of Dalian City Liu Fang said that besides Yogyakarta, Dalian had similar agreements with nine other cities, including in Japan, United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and Thailand. "We are so happy and enthusiastic to cooperate with Yogyakarta as the two cities have something in common. Hopefully these cities complement each other," Liu said.

The cooperation will be initiated in the tourism sector, and Deputy Head of Tourism Bureau of Dalian Wang Wen Yong hoped that it will help attract more tourists to both cities, and to both countries. Dalian is a major city and seaport located at the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula in the south of Liaoning Province, China.

It is a trading and financial center in northeastern Asia and is known as the 'Hong Kong of Northern China'. Dalian holds several international festivals such as the Chinese Scholartree Blossom Affairs, and an international cultural and tourism week (that will be held in May). "We invite Yogyakarta to take part in the cultural week as well as to promote its tourism potential," Wang said.

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