On May 21, 2025, the 3rd New Zealand-China Mayoral Forum & Festival was successfully held in Chengdu. Co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and Global Cities New Zealand, and organized by the Chengdu Municipal People's Government, this year's forum was themed "Mapping out a New Decade of Sister Cities Relationships." Yang Wanming, President of CPAFFC; Wang Fengchao, Deputy Secretary of the Chengdu Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Chengdu; Qian Bo, Special Envoy of the Chinese Government for Pacific Island Affairs; Grant Smith, President of the Global Cities New Zealand and Mayor of Palmerston North; and Michael Zhang, Consul General of New Zealand in Guangzhou attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong delivered a video address.
Government leaders and representatives from ten New Zealand cities, including Palmerston North, Hamilton, Marlborough, Rotorua, Tauranga, Auckland, Hastings, Wellington, Christchurch, and Napier, attended the forum alongside government officials and relevant institution representatives from twelve Chinese cities across the municipalities, provinces, and autonomous regions of Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Guizhou.
President Yang noted that, the establishment of the New Zealand-China mayoral exchange and cooperation mechanism, under the personal guidance and witness of President Xi Jinping, has become a key platform for fostering exchanges and cooperation between local governments, particularly between sister cities in both countries. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the inaugural New Zealand-China Mayoral Forum. Ten years on, the original commitment remains firm. As we embark on the second decade of this forum, we are full of confidence and expectations for future cooperation. It is hoped that both sides carry forward the spirit of "striving for excellence", to accelerate collaboration in a wide range of fields, especially among sister cities, and to pioneer new initiatives in local-level cooperation. The CPAFFC is ready to work hand in hand with partners across New Zealand to deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and New Zealand peoples, to strengthen pragmatic cooperation, and to contribute to the steady and healthy development of the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership.
Ambassador Wang Xiaolong said that, the New Zealand-China Mayoral Forum plays a vital and unique role in strengthening the people-to-people foundation of bilateral relations, and constitutes an integral part of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and New Zealand. It is hoped that sister city cooperation continue to grow, enabling both sides to leverage complementary strengths and jointly write a new chapter in friendly collaboration.
Mayor Wang Fengchao noted that, in recent years, Chengdu has actively leveraged the mayoral exchange and cooperation mechanism to deepen ties with cities across New Zealand. These efforts have led to tangible outcomes in fields such as trade and investment, education, science and technology, culture, and sports. It is hoped that the forum would serve as a catalyst to further enhance practical cooperation, strengthen economic and trade exchanges, and open up new opportunities for mutually beneficial urban development.
Special Envoy Qian Bo remarked that the vitality of China-New Zealand relations stems from subnational engagement, and in turn, the friendly bilateral cooperation benefits cities of both sides. Frequent exchanges and extensive collaboration between sister provinces and cities have played a significant role in deepening mutual understanding and friendship, while promoting substantive cooperation across a wide range of areas.
Mayor Grant Smith and Consul General Michael Zhang expressed New Zealand's strong appreciation for its longstanding friendship with China and commended the Chinese side for the thoughtful and well-organized preparations for this year's forum. A decade of sustained exchanges and fruitful results has fully demonstrated the New Zealand-China Mayoral Forum's role as a vital platform for enhancing mutual understanding and achieving shared development. The New Zealand side is committed to expanding friendly exchanges, promoting practical cooperation, and strengthening people-to-people ties under this mechanism.
Following the opening ceremony, delegates from both countries engaged in in-depth discussions around three thematic forums: Sister Cities open doors for cooperation; Sister Cities enhance mutual understanding; and Sister Cities are about the people. Participants shared compelling case studies of sister city exchanges, highlighted the strengths of their respective cities, and explored broad prospects for future cooperation. The forum concluded with the release of the Chengdu Declaration, which reaffirmed the importance of strengthening people-to-people bonds through sister city relationships, advancing trade and investment collaboration, and injecting renewed vitality into the development of China-New Zealand relations. It was also agreed that the 4th New Zealand-China Mayoral Forum would be held in New Zealand in 2027. Several tangible outcomes were achieved during the forum: A memorandum of understanding on friendly cooperation was signed between the CPAFFC and Global Cities New Zealand. Chengdu and Hamilton exchanged commemorative gifts marking the 10th anniversary of their sister city relationship. A Letter of Intent for Cooperation was signed between Qingdao and Dunedin, facilitating future exchanges between elementary schools in the two cities.
Ahead of the forum, foreign guests participated in a range of cultural and experiential activities: At the Cultural Park, they experienced the making of traditional Sichuan Opera masks, gaining insight into the unique charm of Chinese culture. At the Tianfu New Area First Recycled Water Plant, they explored innovative practices in urban governance and green development. At Chengdu-Hamilton Luhu Primary School, they witnessed the concrete results of sister city educational cooperation. The New Zealand representatives expressed admiration for Chengdu's innovations in urban governance and were deeply encouraged by the growing achievements in educational collaboration. On the day of the forum, a New Zealand-China Specialty Products Exhibition was also held, showcasing innovative technologies, including AI applications, alongside promotional booths on education and tourism. These exhibits drew strong interest from participants on both sides. To conclude the day's events, New Zealand's Te Matatini Dance Troupe delivered a captivating performance of Māori songs and dances, delighting both forum guests and the local Chengdu community.
