Barbara Woodward, British ambassador to China, took photos with sixteen Yunnan football coaches in Kunming. [Photo/ Chen Yingying]

Barbara Woodward extended her wishes to a representative of Yunnan football coaches. Chinese characters written on the paper by Barbara means “Come on, Chinese football!” [Photo/ Chen Yingying]

[InKunming--Yunnan]  On May 5, Barbara Woodward, British ambassador to China, visited Kunming for promoting football cooperation between Yunnan and Liverpool of the U.K. On the day, UK-China (Yunnan) Football Coach Development Project Launch Ceremony was unveiled by Barbara Woodward.

To Barbara Woodward, this was her first time to visit Kunming after she took over the position of British ambassador to China. Barbara Woodward told InKunming journalist:"Chinese president Xi jinping had advocated promoting football cooperation between China and the U.K. in public diplomatic occasions many times. Xi thinks that to promote football cooperation between China and the U.K. is a good form to strengthen communication and enhance friendship between the two countries."

"Therefore, UK-China (Yunnan) Football Coach Development Project Launch started in Kunming today makes substantial progress to promote Yunnan and Liverpool's football cooperation. Wish competiveness and training capability of Yunnan football industry will step on a new stage by bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, the real cooperation between Yunnan and the U.K. is also one of achievements after Kunming and Liverpool established friendship partnership in February this year in Kunming."

Sixteen Yunnan football coaches selected from different universities of Yunnan Province will go to the U.K.'s Liverpool to get three-month football training when the launch ceremony was finished. They will study in John Moores University in Liverpool, the U.K. from May to August this year.

Besides the football cooperation, Kunming will assign a team to attend "International Business Festival" held in Liverpool in June, and organize an activity called “Kunming Week Overseas” in the same city.

During visiting period in Kunming, Barbara Woodward also met relative leaders and organizations of both Kunming and Yunnan. She invited and encouraged competent Yunnan enterprises to invest in the U.K. at the time meeting those leaders and organizations, and expressed wishes to further boost friendly cooperation between Kunming and Liverpool.

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(Editors: Cathy Chen, Tracy)