Mayors from across world attend Hangzhou forum

Cities across the world face common challenges, and there are better governance methods that can be shared through mutual exchange and learning, said mayors from various countries and regions.

The remarks were made on Wednesday during the Global Mayors Dialogue, a forum on urban governance and sustainable development, held in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province.

Mayors and representatives from 24 cities in 15 countries and regions, along with representatives of envoys to China and relevant domestic departments, gathered at the forum to share their experiences in urban governance and explore innovative practices for sustainable development.

Liu Jie, deputy secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and secretary of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee, said that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the 45th anniversary of Hangzhou's twinning with its first international sister city. Over the past 45 years, Hangzhou has adhered to the concept of openness, communication, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, by engaging in friendly exchanges.

The Global Mayors Dialogue, with the topic of urban governance and sustainable development, was mainly led by the mayor of Hangzhou; the governor of the Region of Western Greece; the mayor of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia; the city manager of Cape Town, South Africa; the deputy mayor of Dushanbe, Tajikistan; and the representative of the mayor of Venice, Italy.

Yao Gaoyuan, mayor of Hangzhou, shared the story of the city using big data and large-scale models to implement smart transportation, constructing the Data Intelligence Greenwave System. With DIGS, the duration of red lights can be adjusted, significantly improving the traffic efficiency in Hangzhou.

"Cooperating with each other is the reason why we came to Hangzhou. We hope to learn how Hangzhou accomplishes things and how it approaches trial and error. In terms of digitization, we look up to Hangzhou as a model," said Lungelo Mbandazayo, city manager of Cape Town.

The attendees also discussed how to strengthen international cooperation with other cities to collectively address challenges such as climate change and resource allocation.

After hearing the dialogue, Luciano Fregonese, mayor of Valdobbiadene, Italy, said: "The primary issue we need to consider globally is the environmental sustainability of our citizens and cities. Therefore, we must collaborate and enhance our efforts together because this issue is universal. We should share our knowledge and learn from each other to implement the best practices from different countries and progress collectively."

Hangzhou, home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites — the West Lake Cultural Landscape, the Grand Canal and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City — boasts a rich cultural heritage, a booming digital economy, a sound business environment and a history of international exchange.

The city currently has 31 international sister cities and has established friendly relations with 42 foreign cities.