"2026 Global Mayors Dialogue · Chengdu" Opens a New Chapter in City Diplomacy

CHENGDU, China, May 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From May 13 to 15, the "2026 Global Mayors Dialogue · Chengdu", guided by the State Council Information Office and co-hosted by the Information Office of the Sichuan Provincial People's Government and the Chengdu Municipal People's Government, was held in Chengdu. This event, under the theme "Park City: Harmonious Coexistence", brought together representatives from 32 cities across 26 countries, along with delegates from five international organizations. In one mayoral roundtable dialogue, two situational dialogues, and five thematic field-visit routes, participants explored pathways toward high-quality development, high-level opening-up, high-caliber life, and high-performing governance through immersive experiences.

During the period, delegates visited such sites as the Tianfu Initiative Chengdu Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, Chengdu International Railway Port, and the millennia-old Dujiangyan Irrigation System. While experiencing firsthand the pulse of the city's development, participants also sought new approaches for shaping future-oriented modern cities.

Since its launch in September 2024, the "Global Mayors Dialogue" has been successfully staged in more than ten Chinese cities. Among all editions to date, the Chengdu event has been the largest in scale.

On May 14, the "2026 Chengdu International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Conference", hosted by the Chengdu Municipal People's Government and organized by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chengdu Municipal People's Government, also officially opened. The concurrent hosting of the two events represented more than a simple overlap in timing - it marked an important step in Chengdu's efforts to explore new models of city diplomacy.

Even prior to such dialogues, exchanges among these cities had already gained momentum. On May 12, a delegation led by the Mayor of Athens visited the Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-Town and Tianfu Long Island Digital Cultural and Creative Park for field research, with a focus on biopharmaceutical innovation and the digital cultural and creative industry ecosystem. Following the visit, Alexandros Modiano, former Vice Mayor of Athens and Chairman of the Board of the West-East Urban Governance Institute, remarked that Chengdu demonstrated remarkable momentum in development. "I would say that the Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone is a beacon to the world's creativity," he noted. "And it is a place to visit and understand what is the shape and colors to come."

On the same day, as a pre-conference event for the Chengdu International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Conference, the "Chengdu-Europe Industry Dialogue: Chengdu, China - Flemish Brabant, Gateway to Europe, Investment Opportunities in Flemish Brabant" was held in Chengdu. This year coincides with the 15th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Chengdu and Flemish Brabant, for which Jan Spooren, Governor of Flemish Brabant, led a delegation to Chengdu once again following his visit a year ago. Speaking at the event, Spooren remarked: "In recent years, Chengdu has developed at a remarkable pace and is increasingly emerging as a hub not only for China but also for South Asia. I hope to encourage companies from Flemish Brabant to invest in Chengdu and combine the city's hub strengths with ours in the knowledge economy to unlock more possibilities together."

Behind these growing exchanges lies Chengdu's increasingly sophisticated global connectivity network. On March 26 this year, a direct passenger route between Chengdu and Brussels officially commenced operations, offering three flights per week and cutting travel time down to approximately 11 hours to reach the heart of Europe. Together with the dedicated all-cargo route launched in 2019, the new service marks the establishment of a dual-track air corridor between Chengdu and Belgium that integrates both passenger and cargo transportation.

To date, Chengdu operates 85 scheduled direct international and regional air routes - the highest number among cities in western and central China. On land, as one of the major departure hubs for the China-Europe Railway Express (Chengdu-Chongqing), Chengdu has expanded its international rail network in four directions. More than 36,000 freight train services have been operated to date, connecting the city with 133 overseas destinations.

This multidimensional transportation network has also fostered increasingly integrated industrial cooperation. In March this year, Amway established its first self-owned organic farm outside the Americas in Chengdu; on May 11, Xihua University and University of North Sumatra sealed an agreement to deepen collaboration. Today, Chengdu is home to more than 5,000 foreign-invested enterprises, with its foreign direct investment reaching USD 1.37 billion in 2025. Since establishing its first sister-city relationship with Montpellier in 1981, Chengdu's international network of sister cities and friendship cooperation cities has expanded to 254 cities across five continents. Beyond promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning, these partnerships have injected fresh momentum into local development.

The fruits of these exchanges can also be observed in Chengdu's growing appeal to international visitors. During China's May Day holiday this year, the city witnessed a substantial increase in inbound tourism. Measures such as the 144-hour visa-free transit, mobile payment, and streamlined entry procedures have further enhanced the travel experience for international visitors.

Source: The Chengdu Municipal People's Government

Contact person: Ms. Hou, Tel: 86-10-63074558

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