Gathering in Shanghai for the Global Mayors Dialogue and the 2025 Shanghai International Friendship Cities Cooperation Forum, mayors and representatives of 26 cities across 22 countries highlighted the significance of city diplomacy in international relations while enjoying a special boat ride on the Huangpu River on Wednesday evening.
They attended the event from Wednesday to Friday.
"I think that when we have opportunities like this to meet mayor to mayor and to share and learn mayor to mayor, I always think that is so hopeful, because it's the people-to-people relationships that will make the difference," said Victoria Woodards, mayor of Tacoma, United States.
"The world can be a messy place. Let's make it less messy by being friends. And that's what Shanghai does," said Gary Millar, former vice mayor of UK's Liverpool.
"It would be a stupid thing that every city would make the same mistake. So if you can share good solutions for the same problems, we all benefit from it," said Tom Verbelen, director of external relations and international affairs of Belgium's Antwerp.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of friendship-city relationship between Ireland's Cork and Shanghai, Cork mayor Dan Boyle joined a tree-planting ceremony at Shanghai University Wednesday afternoon.
"We believe we have strong traditions and histories that we can share with each other, and we benefit enormously by sharing them with each other and looking into a future where together we can bring about better cities of each other, as well as trying to bring about a better planet," said Boyle.
Mayors from around world highlight city diplomacy in Shanghai
Focusing on the central tasks of the Party and the country, China's diplomacy stands firm on the right side of history, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference in Beijing on Sunday.
Wang answered questions of journalists from home and abroad on China's foreign policy and external relations at the press conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC).
"In today's world, changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace, transformation and turbulence are intertwined, and wars and conflicts keep flaring up. In today's China, we are forging ahead at full speed in building a great country, our national rejuvenation is unstoppable, and our country's international influence is rising steadily. Under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, focusing on the central tasks of the Party and the country, and following the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, China's diplomacy firmly safeguards state sovereignty, security and development interests, firmly upholds international rule of law and fairness and justice, firmly opposes all unilateral acts, power politics and bullying, firmly observes and fulfills our international obligations, and firmly stands on the right side of the history," he said in his opening remarks.
"As the world's most important force for peace, for stability and for justice, we have full confidence in the future of humanity. We stand ready to work with all like-minded countries to pursue the noble goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity and write new chapters of peace, development and win-win cooperation for our times," Wang said.
The 14th NPC, China's top legislature, is holding its annual session from Thursday through March 12.
China's diplomacy stands firm on right side of history: FM
