Members of the Shanghai delegation joined Chief Minister Lyndon Trott in observing the two minutes’ silence. (Picture by Tom Warr Photography, 0669620)

CHINA’S largest city would like to use Guernsey as a role model for developing its own financial services sector, it emerged last night.

Shanghai’s vice-mayor said that if the municipality wanted to develop that area, ‘we have much to learn from Guernsey’.

Tu Guangshao’s comments, at a special dinner hosted by Chief Minister Lyndon Trott, were a particularly encouraging end to a whistle-stop tour of the island yesterday by a senior delegation from the city.

The event was something of a coup for Guernsey because the visitors took time to come here after visiting Switzerland and while on a fact-finding mission in the UK, where today they will go to the London Stock Exchange.

Speaking at the Fermain Valley Hotel to politicians, finance industry leaders, regulators and Deputy Bailiff Richard Collas, Mr Tu spoke warmly of the differences and similarities between the two communities, despite their differences in size.