Hubei’s capital Wuhan was given the “Outstanding Contribution Award for International Friendship Cities”, while Biobío, a sister province of Hubei in Chile and Duisburg, Wuhan’s sister city in Germany were honored with the “Excellent Partner Award for Friendly Cities with China” at the China International Friendship Cities Conference 2024 held in Kunming, Yunnan Province from November 18 to 19.

Themed “Common Prosperity, Shared Future,” the conferencebrought together over 700 representatives from 41 countries. Peng Qinghua, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress,Emmanuel Sinzohageira, President of the Senate of Burundi,Anupa Dunalong, Secretary of the Vientiane Municipal Party Committee, and Hatoyama Yukio, former Prime Minister of Japan addressed the opening ceremony.

The China International Friendship Cities Conference 2024 was co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the China International Friendship Cities Association, and the Yunnan Provincial People’s Government.

Hubei has forged 113 pairs ofsister province/city relationships with partners from around the world. Biobío, one ofHubei’s most important sisterprovinces inSouth America, wastwinned withHubei in May 2019, andDuisburg, one of Wuhan’s earliest sister cities, officially established the sister city relationship in October 1982.

Mme. Zhang Xiaomei, Director-General of the Hubei Provincial Foreign Affairs Office and President of the Hubei Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries led a team to Kunming for the conference. She engaged in discussions with officials and representatives from sister provinces and cities on the sidelines, focusing on strengthening friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation on the sub-national level in a bid to further substantiate and upgrade sister partnerships.