In an effort to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) this year, the 2023 Mayors Exchange Conference on Maritime Silk Road City Influence will be held from November 24-25 in coastal city Wenzhou in east China's Zhejiang province, in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the BRI.
The conference aims to facilitate mutual learning and win-win cooperation in the region through the exchange of ideas between city municipal officials from Maritime Silk Road cities and experts and scholars from 13 foreign countries, according to the conference's executive committee.
It will feature a main session, five parallel sessions, and several special activities. The event will see the release of the "Maritime Silk Road Star City Index" and the list of the "Top 10 Influential Maritime Silk Road Cities 2023," as well as city branding and case studies by municipal officials from Maritime Silk Road cities.
As part of the conference, the Maritime Silk Road Star City Index will be launched in order to provide a comprehensive display of the diversity of cities along the Silk Road trade route through a scientific evaluation and comprehensive analysis.
As part of the index system, 20 indicators are used to assess a city's global connectivity, her trade network, her cultural heritage, and its international exchanges.
A number of well-known Maritime Silk Road cities, including Wenzhou in China, Male in the Maldives, Castellamonte in Italy, and Barcelona in Spain, will attend the conference to showcase the charm of their cities and share their unique practices with the audience. A conference will be held at which an initiative will be presented to promote innovative development on the Maritime Silk Road city collaboration.
Wenzhou, one of the 14 coastal cities in China that opened to the outside world as a hub along the Maritime Silk Road, is one of the earliest cities in China to open up to the outside world. As part of the top ten national archaeological discoveries in 2022, the Shuomen Ancient Port site located in Wenzhou was selected as an important example of the prosperity and continuity of the ancient maritime trade route.
In addition to the increase in trade with the BRI countries, Wenzhou's trade with BRI countries increased from 53.33 billion yuan in 2013 to 147.05 billion yuan in 2022.
"Over the past decade, the spirit of the Silk Road has been translated into reality with more and more stories of shared prosperity thanks to the BRI's practices on the sea, as a result of the spirit of peace, cooperation, inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual benefit," said Chen Yingxu, Wenzhou's vice mayor. The Maritime Silk Road community, according to Chen, is a community that shares both good times and bad times.
To mark the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) this year, the Mayors Exchange Conference on Maritime Silk Road 2023 is being held to mark the 10th anniversary of the BRI...
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Source prnewswire