In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and on the basis of strengthening Friendship City ties, delegations from Guangzhou and Genoa in Italy recently visited each other, reigniting their Silk Road friendship through music. 

The Guangzhou-Genoa Friendship Night event was held in Guangzhou on April 24, attracting a wide range of attendees.

The event aimed to strengthen the bond between Guangzhou and Genoa through music, as well as to explore their shared history. During the event, the Italian consul general in Guangzhou, Valerio De Parolis, welcomed the Genoa delegation and highlighted that this event marks the resumption of delegation exchanges between Guangzhou and its Italian Friendship Cities.

Barbara Grosso, the Genoa city councilor for culture and education, expressed her hope that through this exchange, both sides can form a deeper friendship. She also invited participants to attend the Paganini Competition in Genoa, where they can once again strengthen ties through music.

In addition to cultural exchanges, the BRI has opened up new opportunities for cooperation between China and Italy. Since signing a memorandum of understanding in 2016, Guangzhou and Genoa have collaborated in various sectors, including tourism, trade, culture, sports, ports, and government. This visit by the Genoa delegation is expected to promote more exchanges in various fields between China and Italy.

Zhan Decun, director of the foreign affairs office of the Guangzhou municipal government, expressed his hope to continue promoting the BRI tradition and expanding international Friendship City exchanges in order to build a better future for the people of China and Italy.

Guangzhou holds the Guangzhou-Genoa Friendship Night. [Photo provided to eguangzhou.gov.cn]