Chongqing - In recent years, Chongqing has seized the opportunity to accelerate building the city into a Hub for International Exchanges in Central and Western China, continuously integrating and expanding foreign affairs resources.
The city has increased efforts to invite foreign entities and expand its presence globally. As a result, Chongqing's international network has grown, fostering broader exchanges with sister cities, solidifying partnerships, and paving the way for a wider path of friendship.
On June 21, 2017, Chongqing, China, and Maribor, Slovenia, officially forged a sister city relationship, enhancing cultural and economic ties.
Scenery of Maribor City. (Photo provided to iChongqing and Bridging News)
Maribor, Slovenia's second-largest city, serves as a pivotal transportation nexus and a crucial industrial hub. It stands as the economic, cultural, educational, and scientific epicenter of northeastern Slovenia. Celebrated for its picturesque landscapes, Maribor is a beloved tourist destination and a hub for winter sports. The city earned the title of "European Youth Capital" in 2013 and, in July 2023, hosted the 17th European Youth Summer Olympic Festival, underscoring the city's dynamic heritage.
Located in the center of Maribor, the world's oldest grapevine for winemaking, over 400 years old. (Photo/Foreign Affairs Office of Chongqing Municipal People's Government)
Since 2013, Chongqing and Maribor have engaged in frequent high-level visits, cultivating profound collaborative exchanges across economic, trade, environmental, and cultural sectors.
The Mayor of Maribor was invited to Chongqing for the China-Central and Eastern European Countries Local Leaders' Meeting, which culminated in the formal establishment of sister-city ties.
Additionally, Chongqing and Maribor executed a Chongqing-Maribor Strategic Cooperation Memorandum of Environmental Protection, establishing a foundation for environmental collaboration. Both cities have consistently dispatched researchers to Slovenia's National Laboratory for Health, Environment, and Food to conduct joint environmental monitoring studies.
Chongqing's delegations attended the Slovenian-Chinese Economic Forum, exploring opportunities with local enterprises and fostering trade cooperation.
Over multiple visits to Chongqing, the Maribor delegation actively strengthened business exchanges and cooperation in various sectors, including trade exhibitions, environmental protection, finance, and aviation, achieving a series of consensuses. During these separate trips, the Mayor of Maribor spearheaded discussions to deepen the sister-city relationship and enhance cooperation in economic, trade, investment, cultural, and tourism fields, focusing on promoting investment and financing cooperation in infrastructure projects. Additionally, on one such visit, the delegation from Maribor extended an invitation to Chongqing to participate in the expansion project of Maribor's airport, leading to productive discussions about this collaboration.
The Mayor of Maribor led a delegation to visit Chongqing. (Photo/Foreign Affairs Office of Chongqing Municipal People's Government)
The Deputy Mayor of Maribor visited the Chongqing Public Transport Command Center to deliberate on intelligent bus dispatching, operational oversight, and information sharing, thereby establishing a framework for smart transportation connectivity between the two cities.
Source: Foreign Affairs Office of Chongqing Municipal People's Government