On November 18, the China International Friendship Cities Conference 2024 officially opened in Kunming, the capital of Southwest China's Yunnan Province. The event was co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the China International Friendship Cities Association (CIFCA), and the People's Government of Yunnan Province, and organized by the People's Government of Kunming Municipality. The theme of the conference is "Common Prosperity, Shared Future". Peng Qinghua, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Wang Ning, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Yunnan Provincial Committee; Wang Yubo, Governor of Yunnan Province; Yang Wanming, President of the CPAFFC and the CIFCA; Emmanuel Sinzohagera, President of the Senate of Burundi; Anouphap Tounalom, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Vientiane; and Hatoyama Yukio, former Prime Minister of Japan, attended the ceremony.
Peng Qinghua emphasized the critical role of international sister cities in advancing subnational cooperation, strengthening people-to-people friendship, and promoting mutual learning among civilizations. He urged sister cities from China and abroad to seize new opportunities for openness and cooperation, drive innovative development, explore new cooperation projects that benefit the people, write a new chapter of mutual learning among civilizations, and contribute to world peace, stability and prosperity.
Wang Ning highlighted Yunnan's tradition of openness and inclusiveness, noting the province's long-standing history of friendly exchanges and its role as a platform for mutually beneficial cooperation. He reaffirmed Yunnan's commitment to implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and expressed its determination to work with sister cities worldwide under the guidance of the CPAFFC to renew traditional friendship through close exchanges, achieve win-win development through pragmatic cooperation, foster shared progress through mutual learning, and advance modernization together.
Yang Wanming praised the contributions of Chinese and foreign sister cities, highlighting their success in building bridges of people-to-people friendship, creating direct channels for economic and trade cooperation, and paving "a road to happiness" for the benefit of the people. He pledged that the CPAFFC would continue its efforts to enhance people-to-people exchanges to foster closer people-to-people ties, deepen practical cooperation to achieve mutual benefit; strengthen cultural exchanges to promote harmonious coexistence, and expand youth exchanges to build enduring friendships between future generations.
Emmanuel Sinzohagera noted that this year's conference, which focused on issues such as technological innovation, green development, cultural heritage, and connectivity, has provided us with a valuable platform for exchange and sharing of experiences. He reaffirmed Burundi's firm commitment to the one-China principle and expressed that it is willing to establish more sister province/city relationships with China while exploring new cooperation models to achieve common development and prosperity.
Anouphap Tounalom highlighted the progress made in Laos-China cooperation, driven by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He pointed to the Laos-China Railway as a transformative project that has boosted economic and social development and improved the well-being of people in the provinces and cities along the route and across Southeast Asia. Anouphap expressed Laos' readiness to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation among international sister cities in a wide range of fields, such as economy, trade, investment, tourism, and education.
Hatoyama Yukio emphasized the importance of maintaining a spirit of brotherhood, mutual respect, understanding, and support, whether among individuals, cities, or nations. He argued that in today's complex international environment, face-to-face exchanges and open, constructive dialogue are critical to building bridges of friendship and advancing the creation of a community with a shared future for mankind.
The conference attracted over 700 participants, including 37 provincial and ministerial leaders, 74 mayors and deputy mayors from 41 countries across five continents, representatives from 66 provinces, 125 cities, and 63 local government and friendship organizations, as well as experts, scholars, business representatives, and members of the media.
Following the opening ceremony, a theme forum centered on "Common Prosperity, Shared Future" was held. Speakers included Liu Hongjian, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Kunming Municipal Committee; Lee Sari, Deputy Governor of Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey Province; Maurizio Rasero, Governor of Asti Province of Italy; Grant Smith, President of the Global Cities New Zealand; Carol Robertson Lopez, Chair Emeritus of Sister Cities International; and Benjamin Kabikira, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works of Zimbabwe. These speakers shared insights and best practices in urban governance, economic development, people-to-people exchanges, and international cooperation. At four parallel forums, over 40 Chinese and international speakers addressed topics including "Technological Innovation Helps Build Smart Cities", "Urban Green Development Benefits People’s Livelihood", "Guarding and Inheriting the City's Historical and Cultural Roots", and "Transportation Interconnection Builds a Community of Urban Destiny". The forums provided a platform for participants to exchange ideas and make suggestions to promote exchanges and mutual learning, build consensus for deeper cooperation, improve people's welfare, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results for local governments in China and abroad.
