Concerns raised over draft sister city proposal between Prince George and Jiangmen

“It’s an opportune time,” Councillor Garth Frizzell said. “We’re definitely going to be measuring it, looking at the economy. So investment, jobs, sales, those types of numbers.”

Potential benefits identified by proponents include increased business-to-business connections, educational partnerships, expanded air cargo opportunities and stronger relationships between institutions in both communities.

“There can be a huge opportunity for our universities, for air cargo, for the airport,” Mayor Simon Yu said in July. “That requires multiple levels of people-to-people and business-to-business engagement.”

However, Councillor Kyle Sampson says council still lacks critical information needed to determine whether the arrangement would benefit Prince George residents.

“I think it’s critically important that the City of Prince George aggressively competes for any economic opportunity that is going to benefit our region and our city, but we have to have a plan to do that,” Sampson said in an interview with CKPG News.

Sampson stressed that he is neither opposed to nor in support of the proposed agreement at this stage.

“I don’t have an opinion formed yet because I don’t have all the information,” he said.

According to Sampson, one of the biggest concerns is the absence of clearly defined objectives from either side.

“From the time council was notified a delegation was going to be coming to Prince George to the day that they came, and in the time since then, I have not been able to get any clear indication from anybody on what are our actual objectives, our goals, what are our talking points and our interests and commonalities with Jiangmen, and what are their goals and objectives.”

He said understanding the expectations of both communities is essential before moving forward with a long-term agreement.

“They too would likely have some goals, and we need to understand that as well,” Sampson said.

The councillor also noted that the process moved quickly. He said council was informed of the Chinese delegation’s visit only a short time before it occurred, leaving little opportunity for councillors to fully assess the proposal beforehand.

“It all happened very fast,” he said.

Sampson suggested there appears to be interest from Mayor Simon Yu in moving the relationship forward, but cautioned that any agreement should be carefully scrutinized before being approved.

That concern was also raised during discussions involving Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird, who attended a recent committee meeting. According to Sampson, Bird emphasized the importance of ensuring any agreement contains clear and precise language.

He said vague wording could potentially leave the city committed to obligations for decades without fully understanding the consequences. The current draft agreement would create a 20-year partnership between Prince George and Jiangmen and outlines cooperation in areas including economic development, trade, education, science and technology, public health, cultural exchanges and people-to-people connections.

Copy of draft sister city proposal between Prince George and Jiangmen, China. (Image Credit: City of Prince George)

“Signing an agreement, whether it’s based in friendship or not, whatever language you want to use, it’s still critical that we do the due diligence before we move into that agreement,” Sampson said.

Sampson’s concerns were echoed by officials from Global Affairs Canada and B.C.’s Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat, who reviewed a draft version of the agreement and suggested council carefully consider the wording before moving forward. Documents obtained by CKPG News through a Freedom of Information request, show concerns have also been raised by residents. One letter sent to mayor and council questioned whether the city had received CSIS briefings related to foreign interference risks involving municipal partnerships and asked what due diligence had been conducted on the organizations and officials involved in Jiangmen’s outreach to Prince George.

Copy of letter sent to Prince George Mayor and Council highlighting concerns over the visit of Jiangmen officials to Prince George (Image Credit: FIPPA)

“At the second-to-last Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, I motioned that we go away and talk to folks with the federal government, the provincial government, and get that feedback,” Sampson said.

“Their concerns mirrored the concerns that I’ve been raising throughout this process, which is reassuring in some ways.”

For Sampson, the issue ultimately comes down to ensuring council follows the same decision-making standards it applies to every other major initiative.

“Our whole job around the council table is to gather the information as much as we can and then make an informed decision on behalf of taxpayers and residents of Prince George,” he said.

“I think it’s critical that we treat every decision the same, and this is no exception. We need to gather all of the information. We need to have a plan before we make our decision.”

Despite his reservations, Sampson said he remains open to pursuing the relationship if clear benefits can be identified.

“At the end of the day, I think residents want to see their council and the city pursuing economic opportunities,” he said. “If we can establish a relationship where we can find those mutual benefits, I’m all for it.”

He added that he believes officials from Jiangmen are approaching the discussions in good faith, but emphasized that council must fully understand the implications of any long-term commitment before signing an agreement.

“I believe the folks of Jiangmen are approaching us in good faith. I’m not trying to cast aspersions, but I want to do the work before we sign any documents saying that we’re engaging in a relationship of any length, but especially 20 years. That’s a significant amount of time.”

Council is expected to continue discussing the proposal in the coming weeks before determining whether Prince George will formally pursue a sister city relationship with Jiangmen.

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Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com

by Adam Berls

Concerns raised over draft sister city proposal between Prince George and Jiangmen

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