By Rui Hu, EDITOR

The 2nd Mayors’ Roundtable for International Sister Cities of Chongqing China, is a significant forum for the 2019 Smart China Expo (SCE). On August 26, it was held at Yuelai International Convention Center with Tang Liangzhi, Mayor of Chongqing, delivering a keynote speech.

Group photo of mayors attending the event in Chongqing 

Themed on “Smart Life ･Innovative Future,” the Roundtable welcomed over 200 guests from home and abroad. They were heads and government representatives of 31 provinces, states and cities of 23 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Cambodia, Germany, Greece, Guyana, Indonesia, Laos, Lithuania, Namibia, Poland, South Korea, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Attending guests discussed the roles of cities in developing intellectualization and creating a better life, shared experience, and visions on smart city construction, and pledged to contribute to innovative cooperation among cities, to Enhance Economy and Enrich Life.

During the roundtable forum

Specifically, foreign guests included Jarosław Stawiarski, Marshal of the Lubelskie Voivodeship, Tea Seiha, Governor of Siem Reap Province, Muesee Kazapua, Mayor of City of Windhoek, Kansai , Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai Province, Nikolai Rogashchuk, Minsk Oblast Vice governor, Lee Yuanze , Deputy Governor of North Jeolla Province, Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne, Xola Pakati, Mayor of Buffalo City, Krista Adams, Deputy Mayor of Brisbane, Robert Kok, Councilor of the City of Sydney, Erran Persley, Executive Director for the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

Robert Kok, Councilor of the City of Sydney

Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne

2019 SCE established International Exhibition Area (S1) covering 7,108 m2. Twenty countries and regions settled down here. 14 national pavilions are for Singapore, Japan, Laos, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belarus, Israel, Hungary, Australia, Uruguay, and Canada; 1 international organization pavilion for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO); 5 sister provinces and states pavilions for California State, Kentucky State, Cincinnati, Waynesboro and Buffalo City (South Africa); 1 regional pavilion for Hong Kong and Macao enterprises. 3,304-square-meter Singapore Pavilion is the largest one.

Erran Persley, Executive Director for the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development

Chongqing now has 46 sister cities in over 30 countries, including Seattle (the United States), Toronto (Canada), Brisbane (Australia), Minsk Oblast (Belarus), Maribor (Slovenia) and Cordoba (Argentina). It also has entered into cooperation agreements with 95 cities worldwide. Chongqing saw a string of outcomes from more than 100 cooperative projects in smart city, economy & trade, science & technology, education, cultural tourism, and other fields in 2019.

More than consolidating current friendships for innovative cooperation, Chongqing made new friends during this year’s SCE. New MOUs for friendly collaboration has been reached between Chongqing and Lubelskie Voivodeship (Poland), Cologne (Germany) and Kentucky State (the United States), between Wanzhou District (Chongqing) and Siem Reap City (Cambodia), and between Dadukou District (Chongqing) and Radviliškis (Lithuania). Additionally, Chongqing signed an MOU for enhancing the relationship of sister cities with Brisbane (Australia). Governments of Yubei District (Chongqing) and Minsk Oblast (Belarus) agreed on jointly developing a 100-hectare Belarus-featured town, which focuses on economy & trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.

Attendees spoke highly of the Roundtable, saying they would apply the rich fruits to smart city construction, in a bid to better people’s smart life. They also looked forward to meeting friends from sister cities in Chongqing again at the 3rd Roundtable.

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