Global Mayors Dialogue took place in Qingdao
Under the theme "Wonderful Culture and Tourism, Shared by Sister Cities," Qingdao Mayor Ren Gang met with mayors and representatives from Minsk (Belarus), Preah Sihanouk (Cambodia), Regensburg (Germany), Piraeus (Greece), Shimonoseki (Japan), Dunedin (New Zealand), Lagos (Nigeria), and Daegu (South Korea) to explore opportunities for cultural and tourism cooperation. Vice mayors from the neighboring cities of Yantai and Weihai also attended the event by invitation.
Ren reviewed Qingdao's partnerships with its sister cities and the achievements made through international exchanges. He emphasized the importance of fully leveraging exchange mechanisms to deepen practical cooperation, expand people-to-people diplomacy, and make local-level engagement more distinctive and effective in contributing to stronger relations between nations.
Ioannis Moralis, mayor of Piraeus, highlighted the city's annual "Sea Days" celebration and said Piraeus is building an innovative and sustainable city based on three pillars — innovation, cooperation and digital integration.
Sok Phea, vice governor of Preah Sihanouk, noted that the province holds great potential in cruise tourism, eco-island development, community and cultural integration. "Let's work together to build a smart, green, inclusive and accessible future for marine tourism," he said.
Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer, mayor of Regensburg, emphasized the role of integrated urban development in revitalizing historic districts. "We have successfully blended the old town of Regensburg — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — with the vibrant lives of the city's youth," she said.
Kukharev Vladimir, chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee, called for stronger cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism. "This can not only drive economic growth, but also promote peace, friendship and inclusiveness among nations," he said.
Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, secretary to the State Government of Lagos, expressed a willingness to cooperate with global cities on green economy innovation, blue economy growth, sustainable cultural and tourism development, creative industries, youth empowerment, and digitalization.
Park Gihwan, mayor's representative and director general of the Economic Bureau of Daegu Metropolitan City, said the city's Chimac (fried chicken and beer) Festival is one of its most iconic cultural events. He expressed hope for further exchanges with Qingdao, home to the world-renowned Qingdao International Beer Festival.
Shimazaki Toshiyuki, vice mayor of Shimonoseki, said the city would make full use of its rich culinary traditions and deep cultural heritage to develop more attractive tourism experiences.
Sandy Graham, CEO of the Dunedin City Council, highlighted the Lan Yuan — a classical Chinese garden in Dunedin — as a symbol of cultural diversity. "Dunedin is a city of charm where multiple cultures thrive together," she said.
At the conclusion of the event, mayors and guests from across the globe jointly issued a "Global Invitation for Culture and Tourism." The dialogue served not only as a platform for sharing insights and experiences, but also as a journey of friendship and cooperation — planting the seeds for deeper collaboration and a more prosperous future in cultural and tourism development.
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