The Essex-Jiangsu Advantage

Essex County Council recognised some time ago the scale and importance of China's emergence as an economic giant and commenced a collaboration with the Jiangsu Provincial Government in 1988. The Essex-Jiangsu Partnership is based on the delivery of programmes of work abroad with equally committed partners and mutual agreed priorities. Over the past 20 years Essex and Jiangsu have developed enduring working relationships helping to deliver successful collaboration and tangible results in the areas of trade, investment, education, culture and sport. The Essex-Jiangsu Partnership is based on the recognition by both sides that it is local governments that must take the leading role in improving their areas and that this can be helped by working with equally committed partners abroad on mutually agreed priorities.  Over the years Essex and Jiangsu have developed enduring working relationships on many levels, in many departments and in many different cities, helping to deliver successful collaboration and tangible results in the areas of trade, investment and higher and secondary education.

Getting results

In 2006/7 thirty Essex businesses were helped to find new market opportunities in Jiangsu, including three Essex companies that have since set up operations in the Province.  Over sixty Essex schools are now actively engaged in curriculum links with Jiangsu schools and there has been a successful drive to promote the teaching of Mandarin in Essex.  There are also strong links and student and faculty exchanges between Essex and Jiangsu universities. 

Essex County Council’s four priorities for our partnership with Jiangsu Province

1. Increasing exports, inward investment and the creation of links between higher education institutions and hi-tech businesses. 
2. Preparing Essex’s younger generation to take advantage of opportunities in China by facilitating more links between schools, promoting the teaching of Mandarin and developing teachers and education leaders in Essex and Jiangsu
3. Promoting tourism and maximising the benefits to Essex of the 2012 Olympics
4. Sharing best practice and resources to help tackle global/local environmental challenges, including promoting business partnerships in the environmental technology sector