On Sept 24, the Guangxi International Friendly City Promotion and Exchange Conference was held at the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center.

Representatives from friendly cities from Cambodia, France, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam gathered to share their development experiences, areas of expertise, and cooperation opportunities.

Vice governor of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Liao Pinhu, presented Guangxi using six keywords: beautiful landscapes, livable environment, sweet career prospects, ethnic customs, proximity to ASEAN, and the flourishing Grand Canal.

He pointed out that Guangxi's GDP grew by 3.6 percent in the first half of the year, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 6.9 percent, total import and export trade volume grew by 10.8 percent, with a 21.8 percent increase in trade with ASEAN countries, indicating a favorable development trend and laying a solid foundation for strengthening international exchanges and cooperation for Guangxi.

From Sept 24 to 28, the "Guangxi International Friendly City Goes China-ASEAN Expo" will again appear at the China-ASEAN Expo, with an exhibition area exceeding 700 square meters. It showcases distinctive products from over 20 international friendship cities from 12 countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, promoting friendship and cooperation.

Exhibition area of the Guangxi International Friendly City Goes China-ASEAN Expo. [Photo/Guangxi Daily]

In addition to the friendly city displays, Guangxi organized the International Friendly City Promotion and Exchange Conference, inviting representatives from each friendly city to give promotional speeches, showcase their advantages and specialties, share experiences, and promote mutual development.