One of the region's universities has signed an agreement with a counterpart in China to improve relations between the two.
Staff from Sunderland University and Wuhan University have come to an arrangement to exchange students and carry out joint research on between the two institutions' media schools.
A six-strong delegation from the prestigious Chinese university have been visiting Wearside to see for themselves the work being carried out at the recently-opened media centre.
Dr Luke Hockley, associate dean of media at Sunderland, said: "We are delighted to be working with Wuhan University, one of the best universities in China.
"The agreement is important for a number of reasons, not least because it shows the level of research at Sunderland. It proves that we are carrying out world class research."
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