Diplomats, envoys from 20 countries explore Suzhou and Nanjing

Tonata Itenge-Emvula, Namibia's ambassador to China, said that for her country, the most appealing aspect is that such technologies can deliver services directly to people.

They enable rapid responses in medical rescue, firefighting and other scenarios, helping cities and governments provide timelier and more efficient services, she added.

The participants, from countries such as Belarus, Spain, Bangladesh, Latvia, New Zealand, and Thailand, also visited Suzhou Industrial Park, Humble Administrator's Garden and Jinji Lake in Suzhou.

At the industrial park, they learned about its transformation from low-lying paddy fields and ponds into a modern industrial new town. Exhibits of flagship products in high-end equipment manufacturing, next-generation information technology, nano new materials, and biomedicine allowed the participants to gain a first-hand feel of the park's industrial transformation and innovation-driven progress.

At the forum on innovations in urban governance, ambassadors and diplomats exchanged ideas with Chinese officials on topics including ecological protection and sustainable development, digitally empowered urban governance, and historical heritage preservation and urban renewal.