Marietta , Georgia recently welcomed twenty-two representatives from the city government of Beijing, China. This warm foreign policy initiative was intended to provide our Chinese brethren with insight into how the city functions and how we govern ourselves in a representative democracy.
Marietta's staff discussed the city's departments, the services each provides, how services are funded and the roles and responsibilities of elected officials. The delegation visited and learned about Marietta's various departments, museums and theatres. The representatives were selected for the program by the Beijing government during a competitive process. Most of them were fairly young and viewed as showing promise as future leaders in the Chinese government.
In addition to Marietta, the delegation visited with Georgia state representatives, the United Nations in New York and representatives of the federal government in Washington, DC.
The visit was part of a program sponsored by the Chinese government through the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
What a great way to gain an appreciation of other cultures and build lasting friendships!
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