Trade & International Relations Bureau

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

During 1992 government representatives of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region visited Montana and proposed to state officials the establishment of sister relations. Over the course of the next several years there were a variety of exchange visits between each region by both government and private sector officials. In March of 1999 the Montana legislature passed House Joint Resolution 9 which endorsed the establishment of formal sister relations between the State of Montana and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

In October 1999 Montana Governor Marc Racicot led a Montana delegation to Guangxi and joined with Guangxi Govenor Li Zhaozhuo in the formal signing of sister relations between the State of Montana and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The agreement calls for the promotion of friendship and to encourage the active exchange of people, culture, education, and business relations. Since the signing of the sister agreement, Guangxi has sent government, tourism and media delegations to Montana and has invited Montana to dispatch similar delegations to Guangxi.

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is located in southeast China and borders Vietnam. The region is home to several ethnic minority groups and has an overall population of 46 million people living in a land area of 91,119 square miles. This compares to Montana's population of 900,000 residing in a land area of 145, 556 square miles.