Zhanjiang to host first Beibu Gulf sports meet in Oct

Ties between cities of the Beibu Gulf in southern China are expected to become closer through a sports meet scheduled to be held in Zhanjiang next month.

According to a preparatory meeting on Aug 30, a dozen cities from the Beibu Gulf region, including Haikou and Nanning (province capitals of Hainan and Guangxi), will take part in the sports meet opening on Oct 23. Events will include basketball, football, tennis, badminton, table tennis, chess and swimming.

The organizers – the Beibu Gulf Organization for Economic Cooperation and the Zhanjiang government - view the event as a significant platform to beef up exchanges between the neighboring cities of the region.

Party to the sports meet are Zhanjiang, Maoming and Yangjiang in the western part of Guangdong province, Haikou and Danzhou of Hainan province, and Nanning, Beihai, Yulin, Fangchenggang, Qinzhou and Chongzuo of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

In order to reinforce mutual economic exchanges and build the Beibu Gulf Rim into an economic development engine for southern China, the Beibu Gulf Organization for Economic Cooperation was set up on Oct 24, 2000.