A news conference for the upcoming 2024 China International Friendship Cities Conference (CIFCC) took place in Beijing on Nov 11, offering details about the major event and highlighting the friendship cities initiatives. Currently, Kunming has formed partnerships with 26 international cities.

Since establishing its first sister city relationship with Fujisawa, Japan, in 1981, Kunming has built friendly ties with 26 cities across 22 countries on five continents. These include 15 partnerships in Asia, 5 in Europe, 3 in the Americas, 2 in Oceania, and 1 in Africa, placing it among the top cities in China for sister city relationships with South and Southeast Asian countries.

Through years of dedicated efforts, Kunming has achieved significant success in its international friendship initiatives, fostering connections and promoting collaboration. The city has received honors such as the "International Friendship City Award for Outstanding Contributions" and the "International Friendship Cities Exchange & Cooperation Award."

Kunming is actively creating platforms for international exchange to share cooperative development opportunities. The city has established the Kunming International Friendship Cities Tourism Alliance, the Kunming International Education Cooperation Alliance, and the Kunming International Commercial Arbitration Service Center. Since taking over the management of the border town of Mohan in 2022, Kunming has expressed its intention to develop a friendly city relationship with Laos' Louang Namtha and established a working mechanism. Plans are underway to create a "China-Laos Railway City Alliance," aimed at promoting shared opportunities and collaborative development among cities along the railway.

The city is also committed to expanding cultural exchanges and promoting mutual understanding. Kunming has partnered with cities like Zurich, Switzerland, and Fujisawa, Japan, to establish "Kunming Gardens." Figures such as Nie Er, the composer of China's national anthem, as well as American Flying Tigers veterans and navigator Zheng He, have become prominent symbols of international friendship. Sports activities held with cities like Liverpool, UK, and Pokhara, Nepal, help to strengthen these bonds. Initiatives like donating books to and facilitating youth exchanges further promote Kunming's culture on the global stage.

Additionally, Kunming is engaged in multi-sector project collaborations that support urban development. The partnerships with Zurich in areas such as water supply, drainage, and public transportation have been fruitful, with their relationship recognized as a "Model Friendship Cities" by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The city also received the United Nations "South-South Cooperation Award" for its non-technical cooperation project with Denver, USA, and has garnered praise from citizens for its green initiatives with Jyväskylä, Finland, and acupuncture exchanges with Olomouc, Czech Republic.

Looking ahead, Kunming will continue to expand its network of international friendship cities, deepening practical cooperation in economic, cultural, educational, and technological fields, while sharing high-level opportunities for open development.

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(Editors: Rachel, Amy)