Ten years after my last visit, I can see that some things are still the same. Xiamen University is still a beautiful, tranquil oasis in the heart of Xiamen. Downtown Xiamen is still a busy, bustling city center.

Some things, however, are different. Upgrading of the train station is complete and high-speed trains now connect Xiamen with Shanghai and other cities in the provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang. There is also a new cross-border e-commerce industrial park that is well-positioned to handle customs, shipping, freight forwarding and order fulfillment for goods from around the world.

Xiamen has developed a flourishing film industry over the last decade. The city is now home to China's Golden Rooster Awards (the Chinese equivalent of the Oscars) and Film Festival. Xiamen also has a vision to become a creative hub for filmmaking in China. Xiamen University, for example, is developing a film school with the aim of positioning the university as a center for high-quality, innovative film training in China.

Wellington is a UNESCO City of Film and has a thriving screen production industry of its own. As such, it will be working with Xiamen to seek ways in which their screen and creative industries as well as innovation and education sectors can cooperate.

Last year, I was fortunate to be able to join city officials, volunteers and well-wishers to celebrate the 35th anniversary of our sister city relationship. At an event that was live-streamed in Wellington and Xiamen, six other former presidents of Wellington and I received certificates acknowledging our service.

This year, I had the chance to meet friends again in Xiamen, and to welcome them to Wellington. There's nothing like the warmth of real, person-to-person connections. We're not just sister cities. We're family.