Representatives from member organizations of the Shenzhen People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries have unanimously agreed that concerted efforts should be made to further strengthen exchanges between Shenzhen and other nations, according to the association’s autumn meeting held in Nanshan District on Tuesday.
The meeting aimed to mobilize all walks of life in Shenzhen to actively participate in international exchanges and cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and enhance the connections and friendships among the association’s members.
“As an important window for the world to understand China and a core city in the GBA, Shenzhen should take practical actions and responsibilities to integrate the city’s international exchange resources and actively engage in international exchanges and cooperation in the region,” said Cao Saixian, president of the association.
In her keynote speech at the meeting, Cao gave a detailed review of the association’s efforts in promoting the city’s international exchanges and cooperation since the start of this year, covering fields such as economy and trade, technological innovation, culture, education and friendship cities.
Cao also revealed the association’s five key tasks for 2023, which include expanding multilevel international communication channels, strengthening people-to-people exchanges, reinforcing technological as well as economic and trade cooperation, supporting social organizations to go global and improving the city’s international communication capacity.
Seven representatives from different sectors also gave talks on internationalization and nongovernmental international exchanges at the meeting.
Shenzhen People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, established in 1984, has a total of 120 member organizations.
The inaugural meeting of the association’s first council was held Oct. 26, 2021. The first council was composed of 28 member organizations encompassing government departments, people’s organizations, social organizations, enterprises, hospitals, scientific research institutions and schools in Shenzhen.
Twenty-eight people from home and abroad who have made positive contributions to promoting international cooperation were appointed as special council members.