Mesa City and Kaiping City have concluded Jinlan Zhang Zhaohong

Mesa City and Kaiping City have concluded Jinlan Zhang Zhaohong Deng Weili, who lived in Hulongdongmen, Kaiping, Guangdong, is the third generation of overseas Chinese immigrants. He graduated from Honshu...

Mesa City and Kaiping City forge a golden orchid relationship. Zhang Zhaohong, whose ancestral home is Hulongdongmenli in Kaiping, Guangdong, is the third generation of overseas Chinese immigrants. He graduated from Honshu State University, worked for AT&T Telephone Company for more than 20 years, and ran an auto parts center. He served as the chairman of the Mesa Youth Association, the chairman of the Police Council, and the chairman of the Maricopa County Political Research Association. From 1988 to 1989, he served as the deputy mayor of Mesa City. In 1993, Weili Tang ran for mayor and was elected with 51.2% of the vote. At that time, Mesa City, the third largest city in Alberta, had a population of 330,000, and the Asian population accounted for only 1%. It was not easy for him to successfully serve as mayor. Mesa City has become the city with the largest population in the United States governed by a Chinese-American mayor. After taking office, Deng Weili did a good thing for the local Chinese and Kaiping ancestral families, which was to establish a sister city between Mesa City and Kaiping, Guangdong, China. Under the guidance of overseas Chinese leader Fang Huixian, Mesha City and Kaiping City became close friends. Mayor Deng personally led the municipal government delegation and 30 Kaiping folks back to their motherland, Kaiping City, Guangdong, to sign a contract. At that time, the trip back to China was full of uncertainties. Because Deng was exhausted from working in the municipal government for a long time, there was a possibility of surgery and hospitalization at any time. Even before boarding the plane, he had to seek permission from the doctor before he could make the trip. Whether it was out of longing for his ancestral home or the spirit of the Deng family ancestors, Mayor Deng finally led the delegation back to Kaiping, feeling refreshed and traveling smoothly. The mayor of Kaiping personally presented a "golden key" to the city to Mayor Deng Weili and congratulated him on becoming an "honorary citizen" of Kaiping City. It is important to know that in order to receive this honor, a businessman must invest 10 million Hong Kong dollars or donate 1 million Hong Kong dollars to be certified. On that roster, which is as heavy as gold, there are dozens of overseas Chinese from Kaiping all over Hong Kong, Macao and overseas. The first is Lee Guowei, chairman of Hang Seng Bank in Hong Kong. But there is no Kaiping disciple in the book who can engage in politics in the United States and be honored as mayor like Deng Weili. It is he who fills this gap. The Kaiping folks from Phoenix City returned to Kaiping and received a grand and warm welcome from the folks. The Municipal Party Committee arranged for us to stay in villas and go on sightseeing tours to see the major changes in our hometown, and gave souvenirs to each sister city member. Mayor Deng returned home in fine clothes, and the villagers specially cut a mountain road, and his family's ancestral graves were rebuilt. Amidst the lingering incense, the Deng family's ancestors saw a filial son and grandson far away in the United States. He had achieved righteousness in the West and had boundless magical power to cross the Pacific Ocean, adding a halo to the remote mountain tomb of his ancestors. After Mesa City and Kaiping City became sister cities, delegations visited each other from time to time, which promoted economic, cultural and all-round cooperation and exchanges between the two places. A few years ago, a delegation from Kaiping City came to Phoenix. Mr. Yu Wenjin, a senior overseas Chinese leader, once mentioned why Dihai City, one of the three ports in Kaiping, was not as developed as the other two ports. After the article was published, it attracted the attention of the Kaiping authorities. Later, an article titled "New Clothes in the Old City of Ogikai" was published, introducing the new look of Ogikai after its transformation. And it ended with a poem: "Three ports are like pearls and one river is far away, and long bridges are now connected by strings. The nostalgia of the river flows to the ocean to comfort the overseas Chinese." On September 9, Mesa City and six sister cities around the world jointly held a commemorative event to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9.11. The performance was held at the Mesa City Art Center. Deng Weili and Fang Huixian led a delegation back to Kaiping, Guangdong to establish sister cities. Mayor Deng Weili and the author took a photo (1993)