WHEN the Mayor of Qingdao was unable to make it to Southampton for a trade mission he promised would come to the city at the earliest possible date.

As soon as he realised he would be visiting this week he made sure Southampton was the first stop on his tour.

Mayor Wang Jiarui and a delegation of Chinese businessmen from Southampton's sister city of Qingdao were shown the new £295 million WestQuay Shopping Centre during their whistlestop tour of the city.

Mr Wang and the Chinese ambassador were guests of honour at the Southampton and Fareham Chamber of Commerce annual dinner.

Speaking to the Daily Echo during his tour of the city, Mr Wang said: "Southampton is a very dynamic city and we hope that our sister relationship will last forever. I was very surprised to see that Southampton with a population of 200,000 people should have such a big shopping centre."

Chamber director general Mike Heath said it was great coup for the city that Mr Wang had agreed to visit Southampton.

City council education and employment director Bob Hogg, said: "This is by far and away one of the most important links that Southampton has. The conditions in which business can flourish have been created."