On November 5, 2019, the "2019 CIIE Sister Cities Cooperation Forum: sharing CIIE opportunities for greater opening-up and cooperation " jointly sponsored by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal people's Government, the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies and the Shanghai people's Association for Friendship with Foreign countries opened in Shanghai. This forum is one of the supporting activities to serve the second China International Import Expo.
The forum invited high-level delegates from 18 countries and 22 cities from Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa, as well as Chinese guests, to discuss about CIIE and new opportunities for the world, and striving for open and win-win development through sister cities partnership. Amb. Sha Hailin, vice chairman of the standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal people's Congress and President of Shanghai people's Association for Friendship with Foreign countries, attended the forum and delivered an opening speech.
In his opening speech, Amb. Sha Hailin first expressed warm congratulations on the convening of the forum, pointing out that the theme of the forum is highly consistent with the purpose of CIIE. Then he anticipated the speakers and panelists would share their insights on how to strengthen innovation and urban management, promote cooperation and exchanges, and deeply explore new opportunities and new pattern of win-win partnership, which will certainly enable Shanghai and sister cities to achieve the goal of sharing opportunities and common development.
The forum was launched around the two major topics of CIIE and new opportunities for the world, and striving for open and win-win development through sister cities partnership. In their speeches, the participants praised China International Import Expo's positive role in promoting the world economy and trade. China has demonstrated its firm determination and positive efforts to open up its markets and safeguard free trade in the world. Sister cities cooperation is an important opportunity for urban partnership. Representatives of many cities said that cooperation in economic, trade, humanities, education and other fields has flourished in their sister city ties with Shanghai. They also look forward to achieving more cooperation goals through the CIIE and this Forum.
In his concluding remark, Amb. Sha Hailin expressed the hope that Shanghai and sister cities will promote institutionalization, the implementation of cooperation projects, and amplify the effect of CIIE and the ties between sister cities.
Chinese and foreign guests at the meeting believed that with the help of this platform, exchanges and dialogue between different countries and cities had been promoted. They look forward to deepening exchanges and cooperation in the economic, trade, and cultural fields with Shanghai in the future, so as to create new opportunities for cooperation and a better future for the CIIE .
Around 180 participants from Ireland, Greece, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Brazil, the United States, Savaldo, Burkina Faso, Sri Lanka and other cities, as well as Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office, Shanghai people's Association for Friendship with Foreign countries, Shanghai Federation of Social Science Associations, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics attended the forum.