Tauranga City Mayor Stuart Crosby will lead a delegation to sister cities in China and Japan early next month.

The 12-day trip to Yantai in China and Hitachi in Japan includes a visit to South Korea to investigate the potential for future relationship building with the city of Ansan.

Hitachi Mayor Yoshinari meets with Tauranga City Council Mayor Stuart Crosby during a visit in 2012.

The travelling party includes the Mayor and Councillor Matt Cowley, along with representatives from Export NZ, Priority One, Education Tauranga, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, University of Waikato, Tourism Bay of Plenty, Port of Tauranga and local businesses.

The visit to Ansan comes at the request of the Korean city's mayor, who visited Tauranga last year.

He and Stuart are expected to discuss the potential benefit to both cities in further developing relationships. Ansan is in close proximity to Yantai and Hitachi, and has friendship status with Yantai.

Stuart says the reciprocal visits are a key part of maintaining and strengthening the Sister City relationships.

'We have developed strong working relationships over the years and these connections have provided many benefits to Tauranga economically, socially and culturally.

'It's important for Tauranga to be outward looking as the potential for gains for our city are immense.

'On this occasion we will have specific focus on food and beverage export products and education. The opportunities are endless and as a city we should continually be putting our mind to how to create lasting benefits for all our citizens,” says Stuart.

Key outcomes from the delegation:

• Promotion of high end Tauranga food and beverage export products in partnership with ExportNZ Bay of Plenty.
• Signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between Yantai University, Waikato University (UoW) and the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic (BoPP). This provides a pathway from Yantai University's Diploma of Accounting or International Trade to the NZ Diploma in Business (BoPP) and the Bachelor of Business Analysis (UoW).
• Signing of a memorandum establishing the 'China New Zealand Coastal Biotechnology Joint Research Centre” between Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research and Coastal Science, and the Environmental Research Institute,(UoW).
• Mayoral presence and Tauranga promotion at the opening of the Zespri Kiwifruit Conference in Tokyo.
• Further discussions with Hitachi on achieving tangible outcomes for both cities.
• Investigation of potential opportunities to develop a relationship with Ansan city in Korea. Potential benefits may include: education, tourism, marine research collaboration and exporting of Tauranga food and beverage.