Sister city relations promote cooperation

Regional cooperation is an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative, said a senior official at a thematic forum on cooperation on Thursday.

"Friendship city relations have become one of the important channels to implement the BRI," said Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. "Sister city relations play an important role in boosting cooperation and exchanges among Chinese and foreign cities under the framework of the BRI."

Li said Chinese cities have established 2,629 sister cities and provinces overseas and have formed sister city relations with more than 700 cities in countries involved in the BRI.

The subforum of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, themed "Deepening Sub-National Cooperation and Sharing Development Benefits", which aims to share benefits and provide platforms for Chinese and foreign local governments for more opportunities and cooperation, attracted more than 300 participants from home and abroad, including provincial governors, mayors and representatives from more than 40 countries as well as representatives of international organizations, entrepreneurs and experts.

Chen Jining, mayor of Beijing, said the capital has 21 sister cities overseas that are capitals of the BRI countries.

He added that Beijing, as a window to China's reform and opening-up, has enjoyed a great business environment and will carry out more preferential policies to attract high-level professionals and more students from the BRI countries.

Christian Wulff, former president of Germany, who mentioned that his hometown Osnabruck is the sister city of Hefei, capital of Anhui province, said the full charm of China's BRI is that it is not a one-way road. Wulff said he saw the opportunities brought with the initiative and "the benefits of the initiative would be fully unleashed with the full participation of all the countries involved in it".

He also added the importance of enhancing cultural exchanges and education cooperation.

"Curiosity with others will help mutual understanding that benefits economic cooperation," he said.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region also delivered an address at the subforum, which had a dedicated session on Hong Kong themed "Belt and Road: Hong Kong In". She said Hong Kong is the international gateway to the BRI, connecting the mainland and BRI countries.

Hong Kong delegates, from the finance, legal and dispute resolution, business and commerce, risk management, infrastructure and cultural sectors, had in-depth discussions on how Belt and Road related countries and regions may leverage Hong Kong's professional services and international connections in participating in the Initiative and pursuing regional cooperation.

Fourteen regional cooperation agreements have been signed at the forum, featuring sister city relationships, cultural exchanges, and economic and trade cooperation.

lijing2009@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Global 04/26/2019 page4)