AsiaNet 201162

YANCHENG, China, Oct. 21, 2025/Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

The 26th China-Japan-ROK Friendship Cities Exchange Conference opened in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, on October 16. Under the theme "Local Cooperation for Shared Prosperity, Openness and Inclusiveness for Development," the event brought together 450 representatives from local governments, business organizations, and various sectors across the three countries to explore new prospects for cooperation of Northeast Asia.

Key areas of focus included economic and trade collaboration, green development, and ecological civilization. A series of activities were held, including the Mayors' Roundtable and the Cities Exchange Plaza, which yielded a number of practical outcomes, including the signing of friendship city intention letters, memorandums on joint working mechanisms, and tourism cooperation agreements.

Yancheng shares close geographical and cultural ties with Japan and South Korea across the sea. As a key node city linking Northeast Asia under the Belt and Road Initiative, Yancheng enjoys exceptional ecological advantages as home to the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I) -- a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. Leveraging national platforms such as the China-South Korea (Yancheng) Industrial Park, Yancheng has attracted nearly 1,000 Korean enterprises including Hyundai, Kia, and SK, and approved 250 substantial investments from Japan and South Korea, making it a major hub for Jiangsu's economic and trade cooperation with Japan and South Korea.

As one of China's first pilot cities for carbon peaking, Yancheng has built the country's largest offshore wind power cluster along its 582-kilometer coastline, with total installed capacity exceeding 20 GW. By taking advantage of its economic and trade representative offices in Japan and South Korea, near-sea shipping routes at Yancheng Port, and policy frameworks such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and China-ROK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Yancheng continues to expand its economic cooperation network with both countries.

In terms of cultural and tourism exchange, Yancheng has launched direct flights to Seoul and Osaka, optimized international payment services, and continuously introduced distinctive tourism products. From January to September this year, the city received over 10,000 Korean visitors, with the "NICE Yancheng" initiative emerging as a popular choice for Japanese and Korean tourists.

This conference provided an important platform for deepening trilateral local cooperation. Yasuda Mitsuru, Chairperson of the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), and Yu Min-bong, Secretary-General of the National Association of Mayors and Governors of Korea, both expressed hopes that the in-depth exchanges at this year's conference would serve as a "new starting point" to jointly promote regional economic revitalization, zero-carbon transformation, and cultural and tourism cooperation, injecting new momentum into the prosperity and development of Northeast Asia.

So far, Yancheng has established friendly exchange and cooperation relations with 18 cities in Japan and South Korea. The next conference is scheduled to be held next year in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.

Source: The 26th China-Japan-ROK Friendship Cities Exchange Conference