From November 15th to 22nd 2003 a delegation from the City of Torino, with representatives of AMIAT, SMAT and GTT participated in a Piemontese institutional and entrepreneurial mission to the People’s Republic of China, organised by the Regione Piemonte.

On November 16th 2003 the delegation arrived in Beijing and visited the Great Wall, after being received by the Economic and Commercial Advisor from the Italian Embassy in China, Dr. Stefano Taliani. The next day they met the Vice President of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Republic of China, Liu Zhi Hua, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Zhang Yesui, the President of the CCPIT (China Council for the Promotion of International Trade) Wan Jifeit and the President of the BOCOG Liu Qi, with whom they discussed the Olympic Games to be held in Beijing in 2008.
On November 18th the delegation reached the City of Shenyang (twinned with Torino since 1984) and was received by the Deputy Mayor Li Jia, by the Deputy Secretary General Zhang Ning and the Director of the Foreign Affairs Office Fang Wiangdong. The following day the delegation attended a luncheon offered by the Mayor of Shenyang Chen Zenggao and later took part in an official meeting with representatives from the Culture Department, and from the Rural and Urban Building Department. In the afternoon the delegation visited the factory of the Jinbei Auto Group.

On November 19th the delegation visited the City of Shanghai where they met the Deputy Mayor Yang Xiong and the Directors of the Magnetic Levitation Train (maglev).
On November 20th the delegation from the City of Torino moved to Harbin where a meeting took place between the Mayor Sergio Chiamparino and the Deputy Mayor of Harbin, Zhao Changyi, during which the two cities were presented. It was also agreed that there are opportunities for future cooperation in the economic department between Harbin and Torino. A Friendship Protocol was signed by the two cities. The delegation also visited the Harbin Hafei Group, a company manufacturing aircraft and motor vehicles, and the Erlong Shan Ski, just outside Harbin, where ski lifts are produced.