City of Albany ends affiliation with Chinese city Linyi after 14-month long review process

The City of Albany has ended its relationship with the Chinese city of Linyi after a 14-month policy review. Council members voted overwhelmingly to end the city’s civic affiliation with Linyi 10-1 at their September 24 meeting, with Cr Stephen Grimmer against the proposal. Cr Thomas Brough first raised concerns about the sister city last year, appearing on Sky News and calling on the council in July last year to end the relationship, accompanied by a 29-page paper titled “Sibling rivalry”. The council rejected the motion but agreed to review the city’s civic affiliations policy, which lacked criteria for ending a sister city relationship. The council adopted the reviewed policy on June 25, prompting a review of the city’s existing affiliations in August. The results of the review were presented at last month’s meeting. The council agreed to continue existing affiliations with Gallipoli in Turkey, Tomioka in Japan, and Peronne in France. Cr Lynn MacLaren said it was important to maintain relationships with Gallipoli and Peronne due to their World War I link and Tomioka due to its links with local schools. However, she said the relationship with Linyi “has not yielded anything positive at all or really anything”. Cr MacLaren — who took part in a Rotary Youth Exchange at Albany Senior High School as a 16-year-old from her hometown of Apple Valley, California — said international cultural exchanges could provide “a better relationship and a better understanding with other cities” and suggested the council look at other cities in China that might be more “fruitful”. In a four-minute speech, which he described as “satire”, Cr Brough said the Chinese Communist Party was a “hostile, oppressive and authoritarian regime” and it was time to “take the trash out”, encouraging his fellow councillors to “send Linyi a break-up letter even Chairman Xi can’t misinterpret — ‘We’re just not that into you’”. There are 95 Australian cities with sister city affiliations in China, with 10 of those in WA, according to the 2023 Directors of Australian Sister City Affiliations.