KUNMING, CHINA - Media OutReach - 21 April 2020 - In response to the issue of severing the twin cities relationship with Kunming proposed by Wagga Wagga, NSW (New South Wales), Australia through parliamentary vote, the Kunming Municipal Government Information Office responded as follows:

On the evening of April 14, 2020, in the absence of the mayor, the Municipal Council of Wagga Wagga, NSW(New South Wales), Australia, led by several members, approved a motion to sever the twin cities relationship between the two sides. Kunming city expressed its firm opposition and strong condemnation to a few city councilors of Wagga Wagga who wantonly discredited and slandered the Chinese political system, as well as the epidemic prevention and control work.

Over the years, the friendly exchanges between Kunming and Wagga Wagga have been successful, and non-governmental exchanges have become increasingly intensive. On April 16, Mayor Greg Conk of Wagga Wagga wrote a letter to Mayor Wang Xiliang of Kunming city, expressing his apology for approving the motion of severing the twin cities relationship, stating that a new motion will be proposed in the near future to cancel the previous determination. In the meanwhile, we have also noticed that the vast majority of the citizens of Wagga Wagga expressed strong opposition and condemnation to the behaviors of the few councilors, which is consistent with the friendly relationship between the two cities.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, China has made remarkable achievements in the prevention and control of the outbreak. Kunming, like other cities in the country, has also achieved obvious results in epidemic prevention and control, and the production and life of the people have been restored in an orderly manner. We believe that the blasphemy of a few people in Wagga Wagga cannot represent mainstream public opinion. Kunming hopes that with the joint efforts of Mayor Greg Conk and the friendly citizens of Wagga Wagga, the two sides will be able to push the friendly and cooperative relations between the two sides back on the right track at an early date.