Strengthen overall planning and coordination, and build an inclusive work pattern of friendship city

Shenyang continuously strengthens its organizational leadership over international friendship city work, promoting the formation of an inclusive work pattern of friendship city led by the CPC Municipal Committee and Municipal Government, coordinated by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Municipal Committee, supported by various departments and districts, an  jointly built by the whole society with shared resources and achievements. In recent years, under the framework of international friendshipcity cooperation, friendship citydevelopment has "branched out" and continued to extend to districts and counties (city) and multiple fields, forming a good trend of "friendship city+" comprehensive integration. Heping District and Dadong District have successively established friendship districtrelations with Yongsan-gu and Gangbuk-gu of Seoul, Shenhe District with Seo-guof Daejeon City, Shenbei New District with Seo-gu of Incheon City, Liaozhong District with Kalininsky District of Ufa City, Russia. At the same time, various departments, organizations, research institutes, schools, hospitals, enterprises, etc. in our city have also established diverse and extensive friendly exchange and cooperation relations with friendshipcities.

Build a friendship city brand and showcase the good image of "International Shenyang"

The Foreign Affairs Office of Shenyang Municipal Government (Shenyang Municipal People’s Association forFriendship with Foreign Countries) has planned a series of friendship city exchange activities with the theme of "Hello, Shenyang", showcasing Shenyang's image as an international central city in Northeast Asia. In September this year, the first Shenyang International Friendship City Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference was held with the theme of "Joining Hands with Friendship Cities, Creating a BetterFuture", attracting more than 150 representatives from various fields including international friendship cities to gather online and offline, to discuss friendship, cooperation, and the future together. 10 guests, including Yoo Jeong bok, Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan Cityin ROK, Khalil Hashmi, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, and Kerry Curran, Director of the Northern Ireland Bureau China, delivered speeches on site. 8guests, including Guillermo Lopez, Governor of Florida Province, Uruguay, delivered video speeches. 10 projects, including the "China-ROK International Economic and Trade Industrial Park Strategic Cooperation Agreement," were signed on site. The conference focused on friendship and economic and trade cooperation, showcasing Shenyang's international sound business environment and fully demonstrating the fruitful achievements of the efforts to build amodel of international friendship city.

Efforts have been made to invite friendship city mayors to visit Shenyang and hold the "International Friendship City Mayor Exchange Day" event. This year, Yoo Jeong bok, Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City, ROK, Miyajima Daisuke, Mayor of Sasebo City, Japan, and Szarvas Peter, Mayor of Békéscsaba City, Hungary, led delegations to visit Shenyang and jointly held the "International Friendship City Mayor Exchange Day" with promotion of respective city. In-depth exchanges in various fields such as economy, trade, tourism, education, culture, and sports were conducted, and exchange and cooperation agreements signed with relevant departments, districts, industrial parks, and enterprises in our city, achieving fruitful and pragmatic results.

Implement “one city, one policy”strategy and deepen cooperation with friendship cities in various fields

The Foreign Affairs Office of Shenyang Municipal Government (Shenyang Municipal People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries) has achieved balanced the relationship between the increment and stock, quantity and quality of friendship cities, identifiedthe situation, adopted targeted measures, and created a map of industrial layout of international friendship cities. It is regularly released to various districts, departments, industrial parks, etc. in the city, and "one city, one plan" is formulated and "one city, one team" is established for precise engagement. Through friendshipcity channels, foreign investment and advanced technology are attracted topromote the transformation of theindustrial structure, and better serve theeconomic development of the city. In recent years, efforts have been made to support Shenyang Machine Tool, Northern Heavy Industries, Wuai Group, Tourism Group and other companies to carry out economic and trade cooperation infriendship cities, signing more than 20 projects; promote the construction of two logistics centers in Shenyang by Anbo, a Fortune Global 500 company, with an investment of 6 billion yuan; work with the Germany China Friendship Association to track and promote the landing of the Heidelberg e-vehicle charging equipment project; hold ICT exchange activities with Japan and ROK for several consecutive years, providing a platform for communication and cooperation for over 200 enterprises. During the visit of the delegation from Békéscsaba City of County Rank in Hungary, Krakus Food signed a letter of intent on cooperation with Hungarian Knyihár Home Made Sausage Company. Cooperation projects such as the establishment of a  overseas artworkswarehouse in Hungary as the first EU warehouse of Liaoning Free Trade Zone(Shenyang Area) have been discussed.

Serving national diplomacy and strengthening the foundation of friendship city work

Against the backdrop of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, the China Russia Year of Culture, the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and the China France Year of Culture and Tourism, Shenyang hasfocused on key countries and friendshipcities, carried out related work from multiple perspectives and broad fields, and served the overall diplomacy of the country. By inviting the city of Chicago, USA to participate in the 5th China US Sister Cities Conference and attending the 24th Friendship City Exchange Conference among China Japan and Republic of Korea, we have further deepened the friendship between cities and fulfilled our duty and mission of making friends for the country. In March this year, Shenyang economic and trade delegation visited the United States and held working talks with John Roberson, the special representative of the Mayor of Chicago and the Chief Operating Officer, on deepenin  friendship, expanding economic and trade cooperation, and strengthening cultural exchanges, with the hope that the two cities would fully utilize the mechanism of "China Cities and US Chicago Gateway Cities Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment Cooperation"  and the Shenyang Chicago cross-border e-commerce full freight air route to promote deeper and more practical economic and trade cooperation, and extensively carry out exchange activities in the fields of culture, sports, and tourism, which received a positive response from the Chicago government.

During the prevention and control of the COVID-19, 16 friendship cities expressed support to Shenyang in various ways, and Shenyang donated epidemic prevention materials to 19 friendship cities and share epidemic prevention experience. In 2022, Pakistan experienced severe flood disaster. And Shenyang donated tents, food and other supplies to Karachi, a friendship city in Pakistan, vividly interpreting the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind through local foreign affairs practices.

Mutual promotion of friendship cities, enhancing the vitality of friendship city communication

In the process of communication and interaction with international friendshipcities, Shenyang attaches great importance to the mutual promotion of the cities. It is necessary not only to tell the story of Shenyang’s development, but also let the citizens of Shenyang get to know ourfriendship cities, broaden their international horizons, and enhance the internationalization level of the city. In accordance with the arrangement to strengthen "foreign affairs+" and build an "International Shenyang" by the CPCMunicipal Committee and Municipal Government, the Foreign Affairs Office of Shenyang Municipal Government (Shenyang Municipal People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries), together with relevant departments and districts, held the "Hello Shenyang" global promotion event in international metropolises such as Tokyo, Seoul, Paris, Geneva, Sydney, Munich, etc. In addition, relying on the resources of friendship cities, the "Hello Shenyang" global promotion events have been held in Sapporo, Japan, Daejeon, ROK, Penang, Malaysia, Yaounde, Cameroon, Rayong, Thailand, Chicago, USA, and other places, highlighting the new and dynamic trend that Shenyang is displaying in the Three-Year Action Plan for Comprehensive Revitalization and Breakthroughs and theCampaign of "Being a Pioneer and Achieving New Breakthrough in All-roundRevitalization", as well as the human touch and hustle and bustle of the fashionable and international city in its efforts to build an international central city in Northeast Asia. The promotion event was warmly welcomed by the audience on site in all cities, hoping to carry out more exchanges and cooperation. The event also received widespread attention and coverage from mainstream media at home and abroad. Nowadays, the "Hello Shenyang" global promotion event hasbeen held in five continents around the world, fully showcasing the open, friendly, dynamic, and modern "International Shenyang" image to the world, greatly enhancing international reputation and influence of the city.