Yunnan Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

Cuba: "Kunming Initiative" leads cooperation between Chinese and foreign sister cities

[Latin American News, Kunming, November 18th] The 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference opened in Kunming, China on the 18th. More than 700 people including local government representatives from more than 40 countries attended the conference.

The theme of this conference is "Sharing, Win-win, and Creating a Future." In addition to thematic forums, there are also forums on "Technological Innovation Helps Build Smart Cities," "Urban Green Development Benefits People's Livelihood and Wellbeing," "Protecting and Inheriting the City's Historical and Cultural Roots," "Transportation "Interconnection to build a community of urban destiny" four parallel forums.

During the conference, Chinese and foreign cities will sign a number of sister-city friendship and cooperation agreements, and release the "Kunming Initiative" calling for strengthening international cooperation.

At the opening ceremony of the conference, Peng Qinghua, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, emphasized that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the important and fundamental role of international sister cities in promoting local cooperation, enhancing friendship between people, and promoting mutual learning among civilizations. Peng Qinghua expressed the hope that Chinese and foreign sister cities will seize new opportunities for open cooperation, stimulate new momentum for innovative development, create new cooperation projects to benefit the people, write a new chapter of mutual learning among civilizations, and inject more positive energy into maintaining world peace, stability and prosperity.

Indonesia: 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference West Java goes global and wins award in Kunming, China

The West Java Provincial Government won the "Outstanding Partner Award for Friendship Cities with China" at the 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference held in Kunming, China on November 19, 2024. West Java Provincial Inspector Eni Rohyani received the award as the official representative of the West Java Provincial Government. The China International Sister Cities Conference is co-sponsored by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the China International Sister Cities Federation. It has been held every two years since 2008. It aims to promote in-depth dialogue among cities and provinces around the world and promote best practices. In order to improve the quality of public services and share diverse successful experiences with various regions around the world. The 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference was held in Kunming, Yunnan Province, with the theme of "Sharing and Win-win, Creating a Future Together". More than 700 local government representatives from more than 40 countries around the world participated.

South Africa: South Africa participates in China International Sister Cities Conference

The South African News Agency reported on November 19 that Dr. Namane Dickson Masemola, Deputy Minister of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) of South Africa, attended the event in Kunming from November 18 to 19, 2024. The 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference. The conference was co-sponsored by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the China International Sister Cities Federation and the Yunnan Provincial People's Government. A statement from South Africa's Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs said: "The theme of this conference is 'Sharing Wins for a Better Future', which is consistent with the goals of the department and will also enable our department to contribute the South African experience. ” The South African Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs believes that this conference is an important platform that will provide unique opportunities for knowledge sharing and cooperation between sister cities and local governments in China and around the world. The purpose of the association is to enhance people-to-people friendship, promote international cooperation, maintain world peace and promote common development. The two-day conference will include multiple parallel forums addressing the following topics:

· Technological innovation helps build smart cities.

· Urban green development benefits people’s livelihood and well-being.

· Protect and inherit the city’s historical and cultural roots.

· Transportation interconnection builds a community of urban destiny.

Thailand: Welcome to Kunming

According to a report by "Thailand Headline News" on November 19, the 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference was held in Kunming from November 18 to 19. Foreign friends in Kunming from all over the world sent an invitation to the world: Kunming welcomes you!

Vietnam: Mong Cai City won the "Outstanding Friendship City Partner Award with China"

According to a report by Guang Ninh Electronic News on November 19, at the invitation of the organizing committee of the 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference, a delegation from Vietnam’s Mang Cai City went to Kunming, Yunnan Province, China to attend the conference from November 18 to 20. The 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference is co-sponsored by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the China International Sister Cities Federation, and the Yunnan Provincial People's Government, and is hosted by the Kunming Municipal People's Government. This event enhanced mutual understanding and friendship among the people, and promoted friendly exchanges and practical cooperation among local governments of various countries. Mang Cai City won the "Outstanding Partner Award for Friendship Cities with China" at the conference due to its sister-city exchanges and cooperation with Dongxing City, Guangxi (China). Since the two parties signed the agreement in December 2015, Mong Cai City and Dongxing City have carried out pragmatic cooperation in the fields of friendly exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, and cultural exchanges. The China International Sister Cities Conference has been successfully held for six sessions. The conference is a good opportunity for local government representatives from various countries to communicate and builds an important platform for Chinese sister cities to share experiences, enhance friendship and seek development. The conference held four parallel forums focusing on topics such as urban technological innovation, green development, cultural inheritance, and interconnection. At the same time, it also held sister city friendship and cooperation project signing ceremonies, Chinese and foreign sister city award ceremonies, and award-winning city experience sharing and other activities. The Kunming Initiative was released.

Vietnam: Lao Cai won the "Outstanding Friendship City Partner Award with China"

According to the "Lao Cai Daily" report on November 19, on the morning of November 19, the 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference was held in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. Vietnam's Lao Cai Province won the Chinese and Foreign Sister Cities Award Ceremony for its sister city relationship with Yunnan Province. Won the "Outstanding Partner Award for Friendship City with China". Vu Van Kai, member of the Standing Committee of the Lao Cai Provincial Committee, Executive Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Assembly, and Chairman of the Provincial Federation of Friendship Organizations, shared his experience on behalf of Lao Cai Province. Comrade Vu Van Khai emphasized that Lao Cai Province is deeply honored to receive the 2024 Excellent Partner Award for Sister Cities with China. On the basis of inheriting and carrying forward the traditional friendship between the two peoples, Lao Cai Province actively implements the joint statement of the two parties and two countries of China and Vietnam, and continuously expands and deepens friendly cooperative relations with Yunnan Province in various fields. Lao Cai Province actively publicizes and promotes the "two countries, one place" tourism cooperation model, which effectively improves the number of tourists and service quality of relevant tourism routes. Lao Cai Province and Yunnan Province jointly organized various cultural and sports exchange activities such as the "'President Ho Chi Minh's Legacy and China-Vietnam Relations in the New Era' International Academic Symposium, the China-Vietnam Border People's Gala, and the 'Two Countries, One Track' International Cycling Race." At the same time, the Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments actively promoted the construction of the "Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong" standard-gauge railway and closely negotiated with China on the connection plan between Lao Cai Station (Vietnam) and Hekou North Station (China). The border management agencies of the two provinces cooperated in the implementation of the three legal documents on the Vietnam-China land boundary and the minutes of the Vietnam-China Land Boundary Joint Committee meeting. In the future, Vietnam's Lao Cai Province is willing to continue to cooperate closely with Yunnan Province, effectively leverage the existing cooperation mechanism, and cooperate with the competent authorities of the two countries to agree on the connection plan between Lao Cai Station and Hekou North Station as soon as possible to provide a standard-gauge railway for Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong. Be fully prepared for construction across the board. At the same time, we will continue to strengthen cooperation between the two provinces in the fields of culture, economy and trade, and strive to increase the Yunnan-Vietnam trade volume to US$5 billion. It is hoped that through sister city cooperation, Lao Cai Province will be assisted in its economic and social development and that Lao Cai Province will become a bridge hub and economic growth pole for Vietnam and ASEAN countries towards southwest China. In a warm and friendly atmosphere, Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, presented Lao Cai Province with the "Outstanding Partner Award for Friendship Cities with China".