2010 China International Friendship Cities Conference Held in Shanghai

The 2010 China International Friendship Cities Conference under the theme of “City Cooperation Leads to a Better Life” convened in Shanghai September 8-10， co-sponsored by the CPAFFC and the China International Friendship-Cities Association (CIFCA) and hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Government. A total of 427 representatives from local governments， local governments’ organizations， friendship-city organizations and friendship associations in 47 countries as well as 144 Chinese local government officials from 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) participated.

Jia Qinglin， Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)， met with chief representatives from other countries and attended the closing ceremony. Yu Zhengsheng， Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee， attended and spoke at the opening ceremony. Cheng Siwei， former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress， and Xu Kuangdi， former Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC， attended the opening ceremony and gave keynote speeches at the panel discussions. Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng， CPAFFC President Chen Haosu and Vice President Li Xiaolin， and Shanghai Vice Mayor Tang Dengjie participated in conference-related activities. The chief foreign guests included former US President Jimmy Carter， former Togolese Prime Minister Edem Kodjo， Tonga Princess Piloevu Tuita and former French Prime Minister Alain Marie Juppe.

When meeting with chief foreign representatives， CPPCC Chairman Jia Qinglin spoke highly of the important significance of the conference. He analyzed the current international situation， briefed about China’s current economic and social development and its foreign policy， saying it could not develop in isolation from the rest of the world and the world could not enjoy prosperity and stability without China. It would unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development and a win-win strategy of opening up and promote building a harmonious world， lasting peace and common prosperity.(See the report on page 5)

Addressing the opening ceremony， Yu Zhengsheng said a multi-polar world was making progress and economic globalization developing in depth; openness， cooperation， mutual benefits and win-win results had promoted understanding in the international community. The World Expo was currently being held in Shanghai and this fact showed that China sought a broad vision of “understanding， communication， happy gathering and cooperation” with the people of all countries. A conference that focused on the problems and challenges cities faced in the process of globalization and urbanization， and helping to spread advanced theories of city development， was of practical significance and conducive to deepening and elaborating the expo theme and promoting further development of the cause of international friendship cities.

These provided an important platform for cities of China and elsewhere to conduct bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation. The development of international friendship-city ties was an important indicator of the level of a city’s openness， inclusiveness， civilization and prosperity. Shanghai was in the vanguard of China’s opening up and reform and also a pioneer in promoting friendship-city ties， actively carrying out cooperation in the fields of economy， trade， science， technology， culture， sports and personnel exchanges. It has established 69 pairs of friendship-city relations and friendly-exchange ties with its counterparts in 52 countries. As it is now accelerating the process of building itself into an international economic， financial， trade and shipping center and a modern international metropolis， it urgently needed to learn successful experience of city development from other countries. Yu hoped that the participants would give suggestions and contribute their wisdom to its development.

Addressing the opening ceremony， CPAFFC President Chen Haosu said friendship， cooperation， peace and development were the four major purposes of China’s people-to-people diplomacy. Through the important platform of the International Friendship Cities Conference it hoped to join friends from different cities， localities and nations to discuss problems facing city development， exchange experience of success and find solutions for development problems. (See the full text on page 6)

In their speeches， former US President Jimmy Carter and former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe spoke highly of the efforts made by the CPAFFC and the CIFCA for promoting international friendship-city ties and enhancing friendship among the people of the world. Carter said countries all across the world currently faced such difficulties and challenges as climate change， shortage of resources， urban poverty， cultural friction， war， diseases， etc. The solution of these issues needs countries across the world to transcend national boundaries， closely linked up， make greater joint efforts and strengthen cooperation and exchanges so as to together realize peace and sustainable development of the world. The friendship cities conference provides a good platform for exchanges.

Chinese and foreign participants at the conference discussed and studied such topics as how to tackle the global financial crisis， urban environment protection， energy conservation and emission reduction， exploration and utilization of new energy resources， urban infrastructure construction， public transportation， new city brand creation and construction of community cultural， sports， health and sanitation facilities.

While cities are enabling the people to enjoy a good life， they also give rise to many acute difficulties and challenges such as population explosion， traffic congestion， environmental pollution， climate change， resource scarcity， urban poverty， cultural friction， employment difficulties， etc. To realize city harmony and sustainable growth is a prominent and pressing issue. In their panel speeches， Cheng Siwei， Xu Kuangdi and Alain Juppe all elaborated the relationship between sustainable development and human survival， pointing out that human progress should be made by relying on advancement of science and technology， maintaining an ecologically friendly lifestyle and in a manner of sustainable development.

Everyone agreed that cities in countries across the world shared common responsibility for economic growth， public service， city management and environmental protection. International friendship-city activities can help cities strengthen cooperation， open new areas of cooperation， learn from each other successful experience in urban construction and explore new roads for urban development. They can help cities increase their strength for sustainable growth and promote countries in the world to rejuvenate their economy and develop cultural and social undertakings along the road of development they choose， thus， further improving their people’s well being.

During the conference a signing ceremony was held for the newly-twinned friendship cities of Xi’an of Shaanxi Province and Cuenca City of Ecuador， Jinzhong of Shanxi Province and Hoi An City of Vietnam， Jincheng of Shanxi Province and Cacadu City of South Africa and Jia- ding District of Shanghai and Hauraki City of New Zealand. From the first pair of international friendship cities twinned in 1973 to September 8， 2010， altogether 1，721 pairs of friendship-city relations or friendship- province/state relations between China and 126 countries were established.

At the conference the friendship-city exchange and cooperation award to foreign cities (provinces or states) that have twinned friendship-city or friendship-province/state ties with their Chinese counterparts was set up for the first time in recognition of the outstanding contributions to exchanges and cooperation with their Chinese counterparts made over years. Eighty provinces， states and cities of 22 countries received awards. The friendship-city exchange and cooperation award was conferred to 30 Chinese provinces and cities， and special contribution award to 7 provinces and cities.

During the conference， four bilateral regional forums， namely China-Africa， China-the United States， China-Latin America and the Caribbean， and China-Canada and Oceania Region forums were held.