On July 19, 2025, the opening ceremony of the "Celebrating Culture and Tourism Together" Qingdao International Friendship Cities Exchange Month was held in Qingdao, Shandong Province. Ren Gang, Mayor of Qingdao, and Jiang Jiang, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks.
Vice President Jiang Jiang congratulated on the successful opening of the event. He emphasized that friendship city partnerships are an essential platform for promoting friendship between peoples, strengthening mutual trust, and deepening practical cooperation. China is advancing a path of urban modernization with Chinese characteristics, aiming to build innovative, livable, beautiful, resilient, civilized, and smart cities that serve the people. This ongoing transformation offers new opportunities for exchanges and cooperation between Chinese cities and their international friendship cities. The CPAFFC is committed to serving as a bridge for international engagement, supporting Qingdao and other Chinese cities in expanding people-to-people and sectoral exchanges with their global counterparts in fields such as culture, youth, science and technology, economy and trade, and education. By tightening the bonds of friendship and strengthening networks of practical collaboration, the CPAFFC aims to promote cooperation through friendship and drive development through cooperation, working together to build a peaceful, beautiful, and sustainable future.
The "Celebrating Culture and Tourism Together" Qingdao International Friendship Cities Exchange Month is hosted by the Qingdao Municipal People's Government, with the CPAFFC serving as a supporting partner. Representatives from 26 cities and institutions across 19 countries—including Germany, Belarus, Hungary, Japan, Ethiopia, New Zealand, and the United States—will participate in a series of related events.
