City diplomacy seen as bridge amid global challenges

The 2026 China International Friendship Cities Conference highlighted the role of city diplomacy in fostering dialogue and cooperation amid global challenges at its opening in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Wednesday.

Themed "Jointly Strengthening Friendship Cities Cooperation for Common Urban Development", the conference brought together more than 700 participants from 61 countries. They emphasized the critical need of deepening sister-city ties to boost economic collaboration and improve urban development and people's well-being.

Zhang Qingwei, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said sister-city cooperation has borne rich fruit in recent years, contributing to efforts to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

He called on sister cities to advance China's four major global initiatives, work together to build livable cities, improve people's wellbeing and drive innovation-led development.

Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said sister-city ties provide a key platform for local cooperation. China has established more than 3,100 sister-city and sister-province partnerships with over 150 countries, he said.

Upholding the principle of mutual benefit, the association focuses on precise alignment in scientific and technological innovation, green development and the digital economy, promoting industrial integration, development integration and the sharing of outcomes between cities, Yang said.

Such efforts help turn sister-city ties into tangible development gains, benefiting both Chinese and foreign cities, he said.

Zhao Yide, secretary of the Communist Party of China's Shaanxi Provincial Committee, said sister-city ties, an important part of people-to-people diplomacy, play an increasingly vital role in promoting local exchanges and fostering mutual understanding.

Shaanxi has established 122 sister-city partnerships across 41 countries, Zhao said, adding that the province is working to turn these ties into platforms for development cooperation and mutual benefit.

Viorica Dancila, former prime minister of Romania and president of the Romanian-Chinese House, said a world marked by uncertainty, complex challenges and rapid change needs more cooperation and bridges of understanding, rather than divisions.

Urban diplomacy plays a vital role in this effort, she said, as it can translate international visions into tangible benefits for ordinary people.

Cooperation between cities can spur infrastructure projects and cultural exchanges, creating opportunities for local development, she said.

Igor Dodon, former president of Moldova, said Moldova and China have a strong foundation for cooperation at both national and local levels, citing sister-city ties between the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, and Chinese cities such as Xi'an.

Exchanges of experience in municipal management and maintenance would bring tangible benefits and improve people's well-being in both countries, he said.

The conference was jointly hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, China International Friendship Cities Association and the Shaanxi Provincial People's Government.