Yunnan Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

International sister city activities are an important platform for countries around the world to carry out bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation. The development of international sister cities is an important symbol of local openness and civilization. In recent years, Yunnan Province has continued to promote the work of international sister cities by adhering to the concepts of openness, inclusiveness, mutual benefit and win-win, and the breadth and depth of cooperation have continued to expand.

It’s great to have friends from friendly cities.

On November 18, the 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference with the theme of "Sharing, Win-win, and Creating a Future" kicked off in Kunming. As a brand project and an important platform for city diplomacy, people-to-people diplomacy and exchanges and cooperation between local governments, the event will leave a mark in the cooperation and development process of Yunnan’s international sister cities.

Kunming City

happy to be in harmony

On November 5, 1981, Kunming and Fujisawa, Japan, officially established a sister-city relationship due to Nie Er, the composer of "March of the Volunteers" and became the first pair of international sister cities in Yunnan Province. After more than 40 years of development, the province has established 112 pairs of sister cities at all levels with 37 countries on five continents.

It is worth mentioning that based on the "border" characteristics, the Yunnan Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries has formulated good management measures to guide border states (cities) and neighboring villages in the three neighboring countries around Yunnan to establish border friendly villages. As of November this year, a total of 34 pairs of border friendly villages have been established to promote mutual promotion and complementation between international sister cities and friendly villages. Among them, Pu'er City and Phongsaly Province in Laos have achieved full coverage of "provinces, counties and villages".

In recent years, Yunnan has clarified its approach to sister city work from neighboring countries to surrounding areas and then to key countries based on its own geographical location and positioning, clearly optimized the layout of sister cities, and prioritized support for countries and important partners co-constructing the Belt and Road Initiative. The country has good relations with each other. At present, Yunnan has established 77 pairs of friendships with countries that are part of the Belt and Road Initiative, 55 pairs of friendships with South and Southeast Asian countries, and 32 pairs of sister cities with Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar.

Happy to be in harmony

"More than 80 years ago, General Chennault led the Flying Tigers to fight side by side with the Chinese military and civilians. It was shocking and touching. As the younger generation of China and the United States, we must move forward hand in hand and use practical actions to inherit the spirit of the Flying Tigers in the new era. , and jointly build Sino-US people-to-people friendship.” In July this year, along with the United States and China. Teachers and students from the International Leadership School in Dallas, Texas, USA, who came to China to participate in the 2024 Chinese Bridge - "Flying Tigers" themed summer camp for American youths from the Aviation Heritage Foundation, visited the "Flying Tigers Friendship School" Kunming Foreign Languages ​​School. Youth from both countries reviewed together History and looking to the future.

In April this year, with the joint promotion of the Provincial Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the US-China Aviation Heritage Foundation, Kunming Foreign Language School, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture Xiangyun No. 2 Middle School and Dallas International Leadership School signed a memorandum online to join the "Flying Tigers Friendship School and Youth Leadership Program”. Since last year, the Provincial Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries has also organized and sent working groups to visit the United States to participate in photo exhibitions and forums commemorating the Flying Tigers and the 20th anniversary of the exhibition of Yunnan Province’s donated stone rollers in the United States. It also organized a Yunnan youth delegation to visit the special Classroom on campus in Delaware to strengthen exchanges between young people from China and the United States.

Yunnan Province is also actively exploring new models of multi-point interaction relying on international sister cities, friendly villages, etc., and jointly organizes a series of "Border People's Gala" series of activities with Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos to create a cultural blend and cultural exchange in Yunnan Province's border areas. A new brand of people-to-people diplomacy that connects people and a new platform to promote border opening. As of June this year, a total of 7 border gatherings have been held, with a total of more than 200,000 participants, and more than 50 contracts signed in the fields of humanities, economy and trade, people's livelihood, and friendly relations. At the same time, starting from 2022, more than 140 people's livelihood public welfare projects of the "Heart-to-Heart Connect Yunnan Tour" will be implemented in the surrounding areas, benefiting about 4 million people, enriching the connotation of pragmatic cooperation between sister cities at all levels.

Enjoy learning from each other

Organically integrating into development needs and serving high-quality local economic and social development are important paths and purposes for carrying out international sister city work. Seizing the important opportunities of Yunnan Province's "Promotion Year" (2022), "Enhancement Year" (2023), and "Brand Year" (2024) of people-to-people diplomacy, Yunnan sister cities work in close mutual visits and interactions, creating harmonious surroundings, Focus on promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges, expanding areas of cooperation, deepening youth exchanges, and telling the story of Yunnan.

Based on the "Yunnan International Sister City+" model, we will strengthen exchanges and mutual learning through "inviting in" and "going out" to deeply tap each other's cooperation potential in related fields. In recent years, the Provincial CPAFFC working group has discussed with Siem Reap Province in Cambodia, Chiang Rai Province in Thailand, South Chungcheong Province in South Korea, and Bali Province in Indonesia to continue to deepen practical cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, education, tourism, and youth exchanges.

We continue to organize amateur chess players to participate in sister city "cloud" events initiated by Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province (formerly North Jeolla Province) in South Korea, using chess as a medium to enhance friendship. Together with Hungary's Bach-Kishkon Oblast, we held an event to celebrate the 5th anniversary of friendship and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Hungarian patriotic poet Petofi, promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning in the form of poetry recitations, folk dances, paper-cut paintings, and guzheng playing.

Under the framework of international sister cities, Yunnan Agricultural University signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with Bennet University of Agriculture and Technology in Timiş Province, Romania, and Delaware State University in the United States. Yunnan Provincial Cancer Hospital and Timiş Provincial Cancer Research Center in Romania have online Sign a memorandum of understanding and cooperation. We have carefully organized and implemented more than 50 batches of friendly exchange activities with young people from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar, Laos, Israel and other countries, with more than 2,000 young people participating.

The development of Yunnan’s international sister cities is an important carrier and testimony for Yunnan to build a new pattern of opening up to the outside world. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, Yunnan Province dug into 20 pairs of Yunnan international sister city exchange cases to create the "Yunnan·There is a kind of friend called sister city" international communication project, and in the new era "One River Love·One Family" "Pro" international people-to-people exchange series was released at the opening ceremony, and received likes, comments, and comments from netizens. Forward; Taking the opportunity of preparing for the 2024 China International Sister Cities Conference, we plan a photo exhibition of Yunnan International Sister Cities to focus on displaying the exchanges, cooperation results and " People-to-people diplomacy brand activities such as the “Heart-to-Heart Yunnan Tour” and the Border People’s Gala.

This year's China International Friendship Cities Conference will be large-scale and high-standard. It will focus on in-depth exchanges and discussions in the city's technological innovation, green development, history and culture, transportation interconnection and other fields. It will also sign friendship agreements and release important initiatives. Yunnan Province will play its role as a good host, seize the major opportunities of the conference, expand the "circle of friends", and build a bridge of friendship for the world to understand Yunnan and China.