China International Friendship City Mayors Ecology Summit & Launching Ceremony of International Kite Cities Federation is Held

On April 20^th, China International Friendship City Mayors Ecology Summit and Launching Ceremony of International Kite Cities Federation was held in Montriche International Hotel. Feng Zuoku, vice president of The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, delivered a speech. Liu Shuguang, the vice-secretary of CPC Weifang Committee, mayor of Weifang, addressed to the meeting. Chen Baifeng, Municipal Standing Committee and Executive Vice Mayor, and Xia Fangchen, vice mayor attended the ceremony. Mayors, government officials, entrepreneurs and some ambassadors to China from France, South Korea, Thailand and other countries attended the meeting.

In the speech, Liu Shuguang expressed sincere welcome and heartfelt thanks to guests on behalf of Municipal Government and people of Weifang. After a brief introduction of economic and social development in Weifang especially that of foreign exchange and cooperation, Liu said that recently Weifang has been working on speeding up its opening-up to the outside world and the quality and standard of exchange and cooperation continue to rise, which greatly promotes sound and rapid economic and social development.

Currently, Weifang is ata critical stage of scientific development, transformation development and building well-off society in an all-around way. We are concentrating on foreign modern bases of construction industry, logistics, agricultural demonstration and cultural creative tourism as well as a system of new urbanization. It is hoped that with this forum as a new starting point and on the basis of mutual benefit, all parties shall further improve mechanism, build platform, increase channels, and broaden fields of exchange and cooperation. All shall carry out exchanges and cooperation through various channels, at different levels and in diversified forms, thus creating a bright future together.

Delegates from Chiang Rai of Thailand, Gravelines of France, Anyang of South Korea made speeches. Li Xun, Vice President of China Academy of Urban Planning & Design delivered a speech on urban ecology. Representatives present at the meeting signed the International Kite Cities Federation Statement. Memorandum of Understanding on Establishment of Sister City Relations between Weifang and Chiang Rai was also signed.

The theme of this summit is “Innovating Communication Between Kite Cities, Promoting Cooperation of Sino-foreign Local Governments”. During the meeting, delegates of all parties will discuss urban ecology, communication between international sister cities and kite cities and seek cooperation as well as development. On the basis of discussion, federation between kite cities will be further built and substantive cooperation in every field will be strengthened in countries with kite cultural tradition.