CGTN published an article on the Global Mayors Dialogue · Nanning event, which is held to promote exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign cities, as well as in-depth and practical economic, trade and cultural cooperation. The article expounds on cooperation and exchanges in various fields between China and ASEAN countries, showcasing that high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has yielded fruitful results, further strengthening the ties between China and ASEAN countries.
Chinese goods are gathered and shipped to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries from the international departure channel of the cargo terminal at Nanning Wuxu International Airport in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. On the other side of the channel, batches of aquatic products and fresh tropical fruits from ASEAN countries arrive at the airport and are shipped to various places of China.
An important window for Nanning’s opening up and development, the airport is becoming a hub connecting China and ASEAN countries.
In a bid to promote exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign cities, as well as in-depth and practical economic, trade and cultural cooperation, an event called the Global Mayors Dialogue · Nanning is being held from Wednesday to Saturday in the city of Nanning.
Attended by government officials, experts and scholars from 12 provinces and cities in eight countries – China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – the dialogue on Thursday issued the Nanning Initiative calling for efforts to deepen friendly exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, and people-to-people bond between cities.
Deepening economic cooperation
The high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has yielded fruitful results, further strengthening the ties between China and ASEAN countries.
The China-Laos Railway has become Laos’ first modern railway, greatly promoting regional connectivity. The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway signifies Indonesia’s official entry into the high-speed rail era.
The completion of infrastructure projects, such as Cambodia’s Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway and numerous modern airports and ports, have significantly enhanced regional transportation capacity, injecting new vitality into economic development.
China and ASEAN countries have also announced the substantial conclusion of the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) upgrade negotiations, paving the way for one of the world’s most populous and robust FTAs to play a more significant role in boosting regional development.
“We stand ready to further consolidate the consensus on cooperation and build more platforms for economic, trade, and industrial cooperation and exchanges to jointly facilitate investment, trade, consumption, capital flow, travel, and logistics, and ultimately promote two-way investment and cooperation among the enterprises,” the Nanning Initiative said.
Promoting friendly exchanges
The year 2024 was the China-ASEAN People-to-People Exchange Year. It has played a pivotal role in enhancing friendship, cooperation, and mutual understanding and trust between the peoples of China and ASEAN countries.
Last year, China and ASEAN organized various activities in fields such as culture, tourism, education, media, youth, and city governance.
In August 2024, a seminar on smart cities and the sustainable development of China and ASEAN was held in Guiyang, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, discussing issues including building a low-carbon environment and future urban infrastructure.
Youth exchanges, in particular, are crucial to deepening China-ASEAN relations. Events such as the 2024 China-ASEAN Excellent Youth Summer Camp and the 2024 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week have strengthened friendship and mutual understanding, playing a vital role in the long-term success of regional cooperation.
The initiative called for sharing the wisdom and experience of urban development and governance, further promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning, complementary tourism cooperation, youth interaction, and educational collaboration to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
For more information, please click: