Ｐｒｅｐａｒａｔｉｏｎｓ ｆｏｒ “Ｇｕａｎｇｚｈｏｕ Ｉｎｔｅｒｎａｔｉｏｎａｌ Ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓｈｉｐ Ｃｉｔｉｅｓ Ｃｏｎｆｅｒｅｎｃｅ ２００８”

Ｈｅ　Ｇｕｏｙｏｕ

Guangzhou plans to hold “Guangzhou International Friendship Cities Conference 2008” in the later half of this year to further communication and cooperation with its friendship cities. In preparation, a meeting of friendship cities representatives was held by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Guangzhou Municipal Government from March 13 to 15. Forty-nine representatives from 26 cities that have friendship-city relations or friendly cooperation with Guangzhou in 22 countries took part in this meeting. Chen Mingde, vice mayor of Guangzhou, Fu Lang, director general of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Guangdong Provincial Government, and heads of other relevant departments of Guangzhou attended the meeting and related activities.

The participants visited cultural, educational and infrastructural projects including Guangzhou Development Zone, Nansha Development Zone, University Town, Zhujiang New Town, and Exhibition Centre, to get a general picture of the citys economic and social development. At the meeting, the participants exchanged views on holding the Guangzhou International Friend ship Cities Conference, and explored ways to strengthen economic, scientific and cultural cooperation and exchanges between Guangzhou and its friendship cities.

During the meeting, the Guangzhou Municipal Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries conferred the title of Friendship Envoy on 38 friends from Guangzhous friendship cities. The Guang- zhou Municipal Government Foreign Affairs Office also conducted bilateral talks with representatives of some of its friendship cities.