Long-standing bonds with global partners
The Wuxi International Sister Cities Forum has been successfully held nine times since 2005, with each conference focusing on a distinctive theme – economy and trade, international education, culture, tourism, ecological commitments, social governance, sustainable development, and technological innovation. The previous nine forums have been cumulatively attended by delegations from 313 foreign cities and institutions.
To date, the city has established sister-city relation with 50 foreign cities in 28 countries all over the globe, including the United States, Japan, Russia and South Korea, since it signed an agreement with its very first sister city, Akashi, back in 1981.
Of particular note are Wuxi's cooperation with Japanese civic groups, which has been going on for 34 years. As a popular tourist destination in mid-March and April, Yuantouzhu scenic spot (also known as Turtle Head Isle) in Wuxi is home to a cherry blossom forest cultivated by the two countries, and it now boasts more than 30,000 cherry blossom trees and over 40 types of cherry blossom.
Cherry-blossom-themed decorations that carry people's wishes hang from branches at Yuantouzhu scenic spot. [Photo/VCG]
In addition, the city has been proactively engaged in the Belt and Road Initiative in terms of overseas industrial park construction, industrial capacity, and medical care by establishing steady partnerships with 18 major regional cities involved in the initiative.
Sitting at the juncture of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, Yixing, a county-level city in Wuxi and the main venue of the forum, epitomizes how Wuxi stepped onto the world stage by transforming itself from a small place mainly known for pottery-making in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) into the internationally-recognized "capital of ceramics".
