On June 29, Consul General Tang Rui paid a courtesy call on the newly appointed Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Shaukat Ali. The two sides had an in-depth exchange on deepening practical cooperation across various fields.

Consul General Tang Rui congratulated Lord Mayor Ali on his new appointment and noted that Manchester, as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, has in recent years achieved rapid transformation and development under the leadership of former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, among others. The city has grown in significance and is now widely regarded as one of the most dynamic and promising regions in the UK. This year marks a "big year" for China-UK cooperation in Manchester, with a packed eight-month programme of activities celebrating the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Wuhan and Manchester. He expressed confidence that this will give a strong boost to cooperation across all sectors.

Lord Mayor Ali stated that developing relations with China is a long-term strategic priority for Manchester. He revealed that he will lead a delegation to Wuhan this September, and expressed his hope that the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relationship will serve as a springboard for opening a new chapter in friendly ties and bilateral cooperation between the two cities.