Location: Largest city of Kansas, USA
Area: Approx. 360 km2
Pop.: 360,000
Economy: Aviation industry, petroleum and chemical industry, service. Known as the Aviation Capital, Wichita is home to Cessna and Beach Craft and major production of Boeing and Airbus.
Mayor: Mr. Carl Brewer, first elected in 2007 and reelected in 2010. Visited Kaifeng in 2008
City flower: Sunflower
Though far apart from each other, Kaifeng and Wichita share many similarities: both are located in the heartland of the country and closely related to rivers, both enjoy abundant agricultural resources and sound industrial foundations, and both are keen to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation through friendly exchanges.
Since the establishment of sister city relations on December 3, 1985, Kaifeng and Wichita have maintained close contacts. Kaifeng has sponsored several exhibitions on Chinese cultural in Wichita and has founded friendly and cooperative relations with Kansas World Trade Center and Wichita State University, both located in Wichita.
If Wichita served as a window for Kaifeng to take a look of the world in the 1980s, now it is a channel through which Kaifeng invites the world to take a look of herself and consequently takes part in international exchanges and cooperation. As Kaifeng develops, there have been more extensive and successful exchange programmes between the two cities in the recent years.
In 2008, Kaifeng and Wichita began talks on cooperation in new technology including wind power. In 2009, Yuwangtai District of Kaifeng signed an investment promotion entrustment with Kansas World Trade Center for its refined chemical industry cluster area. In July 2010, 3 Wichita teachers came to Kaifeng and trained 446 English teachers of Kaifeng whose educational philosophy, teaching skills and English proficiency have been greatly promoted. In February 2011, Kaifeng and Wichita have jointly participated in an international talk show “City 1 + 1” sponsored by CCTV international Channel. As the first fair of sister cities in Henan Province staged in CCTV, Kaifeng and Wichita have taken the chance to show to the world audience the distinct history, culture, recent development and future plan of Kaifeng and Wichita, especially the achievement of Kaifeng in economy and urban development as well as international exchanges.
