Maribyrnong Council dismisses Chinese sister city proposal after backlash from Vietnamese community

Maribyrnong Council has abandoned a plan to become sister cities with the Chinese district of Wuxi-Huishan after the Vietnamese community protested the idea. And this is why they thought it was such a terrible idea.

A motion for Maribyrnong to become sister cities with a Chinese district was dismissed at a council meeting.

A plan to establish closer links with China has been abandoned by Maribyrnong Council after the Vietnamese community slammed the idea.

The council threw out their proposal to pair with the Chinese district of Wuxi-Huishan after concerns were raised about China’s human rights abuses.

Vietnamese Community in Victoria vice-president Phong Nguyen said China held a “terrible record” on human rights.

“We do not believe a city in Maribyrnong should sign up to a sister relationship with China, it would go against the values our city holds dear on behalf of many migrants and refugees,” he said.

The Lantern Festival in Footscray celebrates the full moon in Vietnamese culture.

Mr Nguyen said the community was overjoyed when the sister city initiative was thrown out.

“It was very happy, we held a gathering in front of the council building to report and let our people know what happened,” he said.

“It was very emotional and a very happy crowd.”

Although other municipalities in Victoria already have sister city relationships with China, Mr Nguyen said Maribyrnong should know better than to follow suit.

“If other cities choose to put human rights below their economic interest then that is their problem,” Mr Nguyen said.

“We should not sacrifice our values to do the same as them, we are better than that.”

Mr Nguyen said the Vietnamese community would also not support a sister city relationship with Vietnam.

“The Vietnamese communist regimen is a carbon copy of China, they also have a terrible record of human rights — that’s why we must not sign up to countries like that,” he said.

Maribyrnong Mayor Martin Zakharov moved the motion to become a sister city with the Chinese district of Wuxi-Huishan.

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Maribyrnong Council’s corporate services director Celia Haddock said Mayor Martin Zakharov was inspired to put forward the idea after a recent visit to the Wuxi-Huishan district.

“These relationships promote tourism, encouraging residents to visit their sister city and in turn boosting economic growth,” she said.

Ms Haddock said the idea was abandoned after Cr Zakharov “broadened his consideration” following discussion with other councillors and members of the community.

“He appreciated that there was scope to broach sister city relationships with other countries represented by residents in the City of Melbourne,” she said.

The initiative was put forward at a council meeting on September 10, and attracted a crowd of over 100 angry Vietnamese community members in protest.