2014 China International Friendship Cities Conference and Guangzhou International Urban Innovation Conference

The 2014 China International Friendship Cities Conference and the Guangzhou International Urban Innovation Conference co-sponsored by the CPAFFC， China International Friendship Cities Association (CIFCA)， and the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government， and hosted by the latter’s Foreign Affairs Office were held in the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center last November 28-29.

Over 600 Chinese and foreign delegates took part， including more than 30 Chinese leaders above vice-mayoral level， some 80 directors-general and deputy directors-general of provincial and municipal foreign affairs offices， as well as more than 60 foreign mayors and leading officials of local government organizations from 277 cities (provinces， states) of 56 countries and regions and international organizations.

Among attendees at the opening ceremony were Chen Changzhi， Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Chairman of the Central Committee of the China Democratic National Construction Association; Li Jianping， Xie Yuan and Hu Sishe， CPAFFC Vice Presidents; Ma Xingrui， Deputy Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial CPC Committee; Ren Xuefeng， Secretary of the Guangzhou Municipal CPC Committee; Zhou Tianhong， Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress; Liu Zhigeng， Deputy Governor of Guangdong Province; Chen Jianhua， Mayor of Guangzhou， Lin Yifu， Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and former Senior Deputy President of World Bank; Eugenio Rojas Apaza， President of the Senate of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly of Bolivia; and Wim Kok， former Dutch Prime Minister.

Focusing on the theme of “Friendship Cities and Urban Innovation”， special topics included “Urbanization and the Smart City” and the “Silk Road and Local Government Cooperation”. On the sidelines， the CPAFFC and the Association of Communes of Romania signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation， and Guangzhou signed an agreement on the establishment of friendship-city relations respectively with Pokhra of Nepal and Quito of Ecuador.

Chinese and foreign cities/provinces making outstanding contributions to friendship-city work in the past two years received awards. The International Friendship City Special Contribution Award was conferred on five Chinese provinces and cities; the International Friendship City Exchange and Cooperation Award was conferred on 38 Chinese provinces， regions， municipalities and cities at prefecture level while the Award to Friendship Cities for Exchanges and Cooperation with China was conferred on 81 foreign cities/states.

Photo exhibitions on the history of the CPAFFC and achievements of the Chinese international friendship cities were also held.

The 2016 China International Friendship Cities Conference will be held in Shandong Province.