From September 7th to 9th, invited by the Foreign Affairs Office of Ningxia Autonomous Region, Vice President Xie Yuan attended the 1st Ningxia International Friendship Cities Forum and delivered a speech in the opening ceremony. 

Vice President Xie Yuan pointed out that with the rapid development of Chinese urbanization and the promotion of “the Belt and Road Initiative”, as an important way to deepen understanding, communication and cooperation for Chinese and foreign cities along the Silk Road, activities of international friendship cities play a more prominent role and have a broader arena. As always, CPAFFC and CIFCA will encourage and push forward friendship development among Chinese and foreign cities and actively conduct exchanges in all fields. In the wide area of central and western provinces and regions including Ningxia, we will further increase policy support, and better serve our function as a bridge in promoting communication and cooperation among local governments both at home and abroad. Vice President Xie Yuan also gave full recognition to Ningxia Autonomous Region’s efforts in friendship cities over the past thirty years.

Vice President Xie Yuan attended the signing ceremony

Mr. Qing Boming, Sectary General of CIFCA, accompanied Vice President Xie Yuan in the forum. He later said in the main forum that, with the all-around development of Chinese “the Belt and Road Initiative”, central and western regions of China are becoming the new forefront of opening up , and Ningxia has become a new business card of Chinese opening up to the outside world. He expressed his sincere hope that Ningxia could make use of its advantages of openness and inclusiveness, continuously explore its cooperation potential in the aspect of international friendship cities, actively expand its “friend circle” of international friendship cities, and boost Ningxia’s progress of opening up, advancing to the world, as well as integrating into the global village.

Xian Hui, Acting Chairman of Ningxia Autonomous Region, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. There are over one hundred participants attending the forum in total, including around sixty foreign guests from more than ten countries.    

Mr. Qing Boming, General Secretary of CIFCA, delivered a keynote speech in the main forum