The First BRICS Friendship Cities and Local Governments Cooperation Forum Successfully Held
Jointly hosted by CPAFFC and CIFCA, the first BRICS Friendship Cities and Local Governments Cooperation Forum was successfully held in Sanya, Hainan province from December 1st to 3rd, 2011.
More than 300 delegates including diplomatic envoys to China, heads of local organizations from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, and officials and entrepreneurs from 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government and 15 sub-provincial cities in China attended the forum.
Mr. Lu Yongxiang, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), Mr. Bai Lichen, Vice Chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Mr. Cheng Siwei, Former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of NPC, Mr. Xu Kuangdi, Former Vice Chairman of CPPCC, Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the CPAFFC, Mr. Chen Haosu, President of CIFCA, Mr. Jiang Sixian, Vice Governor of Hainan Province and Party Secretary of Sanya Municipal Committee, Mr. Alberto Kleiman, Chief of the International Advisory, Under Secretariat of Federal Affairs of the Secretariat of Institutional Relations of the Presidency of Brazil, H. E. Mr. Razov Sergey, Ambassador of Russia in China, Mr. Arun Kumar Sahu, Counsellor of Embassy of India in China, Mr. Soviet Lekganyane, MEC of Limpopo of South Africa attended and addressed the forum.
Vice Chairman Lu Yongxiang of the Standing Committee of NPC pointed out at the forum that under the new circumstances, activities of friendship cities should follow the principle of friendship, mutual benefit and being results-oriented. Cities of all countries, regardless of their size, on the basis of mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual understanding, should learn from each other in fields of economic development, public services, urban management, social stability and environmental protection so as to strengthen mutual benefit and create favorable conditions for peoples’ well-being and common development of all countries.
President Li Xiaolin of CPAFFC pointed out that development of friendship cities between China and BRICS countries is still unbalanced. Up to now, China has twinned 94, 48 and 25 affiliations of friendship cities respectively with Russia, Brazil and South Africa and we have expanded the scope of our cooperation with fruitful outcomes. Chinese local and regional authorities have a strong will to establish friendship provinces or friendship cities with their counterparts in India. We are looking forward to a breakthrough in the near future.
As the supporting event of the BRICS Leaders Meeting, the Forum was held under the theme of Broad Vision, Shared Prosperity, Developing Friendship Cities and Promoting Cooperation. During the Forum, we have held five Theme Forums, namely Food Security, Financial Crisis, Urban Development and Low Carbon and Environmental Protection, Energy Strategy and Interculture Communication. BRICS Friendship Cities Promotion was also held. The First BRICS Friendship Cities and Local Governments Cooperation Declaration has been adopted in order to forge a well-functioning mechanism of the Forum.
