Time of establishment of friendly relations: June 2007  

Overview:

In 2004, Guangdong province established a friendly relationship with Funen County in Denmark. Following Denmark's administrative restructuring in 2007, Funen became part of the newly formed Region of Southern Denmark, which continued the friendship with Guangdong. As one of Denmark's five regions, the Region of Southern Denmark is home to Odense, the country's third-largest city and the birthplace of the famous storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. Spanning 12,206 square kilometers with a population of around 1.2 million, the region's capital is Vejle.  

The region hosts Odense University Hospital, one of Scandinavia's largest and most modern medical centers, specializing in areas such as coronary heart disease, cancer and hand transplantation. The University of Southern Denmark, Denmark's third-ranked university, is located here, along with other prestigious institutions. Many globally recognized companies are also based in the region, including Danfoss in Nordborg, Ecco in Tonder, Gumlink Confectionery in Vejle County, Lego in Billund, and offshore industries in Esbjerg.

Relations with Guangdong:

Since establishing ties, Guangdong and the Region of Southern Denmark have engaged in extensive exchanges in areas such as medicine, environmental protection, high technology, education and culture. In 2014, Carl Holst, the then chairman of the region, visited Guangdong to attend the 10th anniversary celebration of the friendship and the 100th anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen's birth, as well as the first Denmark-Guangdong Water Day event. In early 2020, after the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, Stephanie Lose, the chairperson of the Regional Council of the Region of Southern Denmark, and Ma Xingrui, the then governor of Guangdong, exchanged letters of support.