The city landscape of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. [Photo/Hohhot news network]

Hohhot, capital of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, received the prestigious International Friendship City Award for Outstanding Contribution at the 2024 China International Friendship Cities Conference held on Nov 18 and 19 in Kunming, Yunnan province.

It is the highest accolade for such efforts in China, awarded to only 10 cities nationwide. This honor highlights Hohhot's contributions to advancing diplomacy through international friendship city collaborations.

Since 1987, Hohhot has established formal sister-city ties with eight international cities, including Okazaki in Japan, Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, and Los Angeles County in the United States, while maintaining cooperative relations with over 20 other global cities.

In recent years, Hohhot has actively expanded its international exchanges, optimized its city partnership network, and created robust platforms for collaboration. The city has hosted over 100 key exchange events and facilitated thousands of government delegation visits. It has signed over 50 agreements in trade, culture, and other fields, using international expos and forums to foster cooperation in education, tourism, healthcare, and environmental protection.

Hohhot has also strengthened cultural exchanges by organizing youth programs like the "Hohhot International Youth Friendship Exchange Camp", signing school partnership agreements, and promoting traditional Chinese culture through language education. The city has also advanced collaborations in urban planning, vocational training, and healthcare, reinforcing its role as a hub for meaningful global engagement.