On November 12, the 2024 Sichuan International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Conference kicked off in Chengdu, themed "Openness and Cooperation for Mutual Benefit". Wang Xiaohui, Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of Sichuan Provincial People's Congress, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. Shi Xiaolin, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and Governor of the People's Government of Sichuan Province, and Tian Xiangli, Chairperson of the CPPCC Sichuan Provincial Committee, attended. Ma Hui, Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), and Yan Dong, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), each delivered speeches.
On behalf of the provincial Party committee and the provincial government, Wang Xiaohui extended a warm welcome in his keynote speech to the distinguished guests who had journeyed far. He also expressed gratitude to the national ministries and commissions, as well as friends from various sectors at home and abroad, for their long-standing support of Sichuan's development. He stated that the world today is undergoing faster transformation unseen in a century, and the international situation is fluid with changes. In the face of profound transformations in global development methods and governance systems, President Xi Jinping, with a broad vision of international affairs and a sense of mission for world harmony, has clearly proposed the significant concept of building a human community with a shared future and three major global initiatives, offering China's solutions to promote close cooperation among countries and regions worldwide. Sichuan boasts a rich and long history of engagement with the world. Today's Sichuan is upholding its tradition of openness and cooperation, actively embracing globalization with a more proactive stance, and speeding up its integration into the global economic cycle, demonstrating immense vitality and dynamism. The achievements in Sichuan's openness and development are inseparable from the strong support and collaborative efforts extended by its international friendship cities and foreign friends. Through deepening exchanges, we have forged a network of mutually beneficial economic and trade ties and built bridges that promote mutual understanding and heartfelt connections. Especially touching is how, in times of major disasters and crises, and during the challenging moments of the raging pandemic, Sichuan and its friendship cities have supported each other and pulled through together, giving true meaning to the word "community" and exemplifying the genuine affection in times of adversity with their practical actions, fostering precious friendships as valuable as gold.
Wang Xiaohui said that Sichuan is currently in a crucial stage in advancing its all-round opening up, with a series of strategic opportunities, such as the Belt and Road cooperation and the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle development converging in the region. In particular, we have proposed the guiding policy for our opening-up work, namely, "expanding westward, advancing southward, connecting eastward, and integrating northward", while concentrating efforts on building a strategic highland for opening up to the west and a new base for participating in international competition. The guiding policy delineates a promising blueprint for Sichuan in writing its new chapter for advancing Chinese modernization through higher-standard opening up. These developments will provide vast opportunities for regions around the world to deepen their cooperation with Sichuan. We are willing to work with all to strengthen the basis of mutual trust and exchanges, leverage the distinctive role of local interactions, establish and give full play to multi-tiered cooperation mechanisms, and enhance high-level exchanges and personnel interactions across all levels, thus laying a solid foundation for intensifying and deepening cooperation in various fields. We are willing to join hands with all in broadening the path of open and interconnected development, enhancing the operational efficiency of international freight trains, increasing the frequency of flight and shipping routes, and collectively strengthening the capabilities of international ports and cross-border logistics so as to create a swift and convenient transnational transportation hub. We are willing to collaborate with all in nurturing the fruits of economic and trade cooperation, deepening cooperation in areas such as engineering contracts, industrial collaboration, and energy development, and accelerating the alignment of rules and standards, thus continuously enhancing the levels of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. We are willing to work with all to cultivate the blossoms of friendship among peoples, collectively promoting cultural and tourism exchanges, sports events, medical and health care, and youth interactions, among other forms of humanistic exchanges. We will also introduce additional mutually beneficial policies in areas such as entry and exit, living and working, and continuously reinforce public support for friendly and cooperative relations.
Ma Hui stated in his speech that in this era of once-in-a-century transformation unfolding at a faster pace, countries worldwide are interdependent, and the future of humanity is closely interconnected; therefore, the role and significance of international friendship-city cooperation has become even more prominent. It is hoped that international friendship cities will actively implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative in their collaborative efforts, give full play to their role as a bridge, share development experience and cooperation opportunities, jointly address difficulties and challenges through consultation and dialogue, engage in a wide array of cultural and people-to-people exchange activities, enhance mutual understanding among people, promote common development, foster friendship and understanding among people of different countries, and contribute to maintaining lasting world peace. The IDCPC is willing to play an active role in promoting the establishment of additional friendship-city relationships, thus significantly contributing to the deepening of practical local cooperation, the enhancement of the common well-being of people in various countries, and the building of a human community with a shared future.
Yan Dong highlighted in his speech that in recent years, Sichuan has effectively leveraged its resources from international sister cities, achieving notable achievements in areas such as personnel exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, cultural exchanges, and youth interactions. The endeavors of international sister cities are playing an increasingly significant role in fostering the high-quality development of Sichuan. The CPAFFC will continue to fully utilize its role as the primary conduit for people-to-people diplomacy, together with Sichuan, build more bridges for civil exchanges and practical cooperation, as well as for cultural exchanges and youth friendship, and endeavor to make greater contributions to enhancing friendship between Chinese and foreign peoples, promoting the development of state relations, advancing practical cooperation between Chinese and foreign local governments, and jointly pushing forward the vision of building a human community with a shared future.
Pubu Dunzhu, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and Vice Governor of the People's Government of Sichuan Province, presided over the opening ceremony. Hidehiko Yuzaki, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan; Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development, Egypt; Wayne Brown, Mayor of Auckland, New Zealand; José Manuel Caballero, Vice President of the Castilla-La Mancha Autonomous Region, Spain; and Rustam Rajabboevich Kobilov, Deputy Governor of Samarkand Region, Uzbekistan, each delivered speeches, representing international friendship cities and foreign friends. At the subsequent signing ceremony for friendly cooperation agreements, Shi Xiaolin, representing Sichuan Province, signed the agreements with the Castilla-La Mancha Autonomous Region of Spain and seven other foreign regions.
Before the opening ceremony, Wang Xiaohui, Shi Xiaolin, Tian Xiangli, and other attendees visited the International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Exchange Photo Exhibition.
Following the opening ceremony, the International Friendship Cities Governor Roundtable Meeting took place, with Shi Xiaolin in attendance and delivering a keynote speech. She said that thanks to the national development drive and strategic layout, the continuous expansion and extension of open cooperation, and the concerted efforts of the whole province, Sichuan has made solid strides in high-quality development in recent years. At this critical moment, Sichuan has reached a new historical threshold, brimming with significant opportunities and favorable circumstances. However, similar to our friendship cities, we are all confronted with challenges amidst growing geopolitical intricacies, as well as burdened with diverse and substantial responsibilities, such as adapting to climate change, managing economic transitions, and improving the well-being of our people. Guided by the strategic vision of President Xi Jinping and the leadership of various countries, we are ready to establish a strong and effective platform for practical dialogue and exchange, expand multi-side collaborative models, further implement coordinated initiatives, and deepen cooperation in developing new quality productive forces while focusing on leveraging the opportunities presented by the latest round of scientific and technological advancements and the ongoing industrial revolution. We are willing to intensify our cooperation in broadening economic and trade interactions, with a focus on developing an open economy, reinforce our joint initiatives for advancing green and low-carbon development, aiming to achieve the targets of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and deepen our partnership in fostering cultural and people-to-people exchanges, with an emphasis on strengthening the bonds of friendship among our peoples. We are willing to forge a framework defined by "mutual friendship, multi-party interactive engagement, and shared benefits for all", drive continuous progress in collaborations among friendship cities, and contribute actively to building a human community with a shared future.
Over the schedule of three days, the conference successfully launched the 2024 Sichuan International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Conference Initiative and featured four thematic exchange sessions, respectively focusing on clean energy and sustainable development, economic and trade investment and modern logistics, sci-tech innovation and global education governance, and biodiversity conservation and the construction of park cities. Attendees at the conference also engaged in field trips to Chengdu, Deyang, and other locations. The conference period also witnessed parallel events celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of province-prefecture friendship relations between Sichuan Province and Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of friendly and cooperative ties between Sichuan Province and Jeollanam-do in the Republic of Korea.
Attendees at the opening ceremony or associated events included provincial leaders Cao Lijun, Chen Wei, Dong Weimin, Wang Yanfei, Yang Xingping, Hu Yun, and Zuo Yongxiang; leading officials from relevant national ministries and commissions, as well as pertinent provincial departments; and representatives from delegations of international friendship cities, relevant countries' consulates stationed in Chengdu and Chongqing, and consultants for Sichuan's international friendship city exchanges, among others.
