Initiative to boost China, ASEAN city-level relations

Twelve mayors and their representatives from China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations called for deeper economic ties and enhanced connectivity to achieve common prosperity during the Global Mayors Dialogue on Thursday in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The Nanning Initiatives, issued at the forum, emphasize city-level cooperation as a cornerstone for a more prosperous and connected China-ASEAN community.

The initiative was co-launched by representatives from cities across the eight participating countries: China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Themed "Building a China-ASEAN Community of Friendship: Urban Openness and Cooperation," the Global Mayors Dialogue began on Wednesday and will end on Saturday.

As the permanent host city of the China-ASEAN Expo, Nanning has become a vital platform for China's engagement with ASEAN. Since 2004, the city has hosted CAEXPO for 21 consecutive years, fostering what it calls the "Nanning Channel" for open cooperation.

"We sincerely hope that all parties will fully leverage the Nanning Channel to promote 'hard connectivity' in infrastructure, 'soft connectivity' in rules and standards and 'heart-to-heart connectivity' in people-to-people exchanges," said Nong Shengwen, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Committee and secretary of the CPC Nanning Committee, during his opening speech.

Nanning Mayor Hou Gang highlighted the burgeoning economic ties between China and ASEAN countries.

"We have established a 'four-hour economic circle' with ASEAN countries. You can have rice noodles for breakfast in Nanning, coffee in Hanoi and durian in Kuala Lumpur in the afternoon," the mayor said.

Nanning Airport has launched 15 international cargo routes, connecting 17 cities in 10 ASEAN and South Asian countries. Its international cargo and mail throughput is expected to exceed 100,000 metric tons in 2024.

Last year, the airport began offering flights to Vientiane, Laos, providing Chinese and Lao passengers with more convenient and efficient travel options.

Athsaphangthong Siphandone, mayor of Vientiane, expressed his wish for increased collaboration with Nanning, particularly in commerce, exhibitions, culture and tourism.

Nguyen Van Hanh, chairman of the People's Committee of Lang Son City, Vietnam, emphasized the responsibility of cities such as Lang Son, Mong Cai and Nanning to foster peace, prosperity and sustainable development through cooperation.

He said he hopes that cultural and festival exchanges, exhibitions and other activities would create opportunities for people to meet, communicate and deepen mutual understanding.

The dialogue resulted in the signing of 14 projects worth over 3.3 billion yuan ($450 million), encompassing sister-city partnerships, economic and trade collaborations, logistics, education and tourism initiatives across eight ASEAN nations.

Currently, Nanning boasts sister city relationships with 31 cities worldwide, including 10 within ASEAN. The city has also become a first-choice destination for ASEAN students pursuing education in China.