QINGDAO, China, July 21, 2025 — The “Global Mayors Dialogue · Qingdao” forum, centered on the theme of “Celebrating Culture and Tourism Together,” took place on July 19 in Qingdao, Shandong Province. Representatives from eight international cities and three Chinese cities gathered to explore new avenues for cultural tourism exchange and industry collaboration. The State Council Information Office provided guidance for the event, which was co-organized by the Qingdao Municipal People’s Government and the Information Office of Shandong Provincial People’s Government.
Mayors or their delegates from Piraeus, Greece; Sihanoukville, Cambodia; Minsk, Belarus; Regensburg, Germany; Lagos, Nigeria; Shimonoseki, Japan; Dunedin, New Zealand; Daegu, South Korea; and China’s Qingdao, Yantai, and Weihai, participated in discussions focusing on key themes such as “Leveraging Distinctive Advantages to Develop Marine Tourism,” “Revitalizing Historical Urban Areas for Cultural Tourism Renaissance,” and “Advancing International Tourism to Foster People-to-People Exchanges.”
Park Gihwan, the Mayor’s representative and director general of the Economic Bureau of Daegu Metropolitan City, ROK, emphasized the 30-year sister-city relationship between Daegu and Qingdao, which began in 1993 and encompasses economic cooperation, high-level governmental exchanges, and youth programs. He highlighted the symbolic link between Qingdao’s International Beer Festival and Daegu’s reputation as the “City of Fried Chicken and Beer,” encouraging both cities to utilize these cultural symbols to strengthen their connections.
Qingdao and Minsk officially became sister cities in October 2024, building upon the foundation laid by the Qingdao-Minsk China-Europe Railway Express, which was launched in 2019. This logistical route has significantly increased trade between the two cities. Kukharev Vladimir, chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee of Belarus, emphasized Belarus’s strong interest in learning from China’s expertise in urban management to improve urban governance methods and promote urban resilience and sustainable development.
The Global Mayors Dialogue is designed as a crucial international platform to enhance global trust, encourage mutual learning, and broaden cooperation. During the event, the 11 participating cities collectively invited global travelers, using cultural tourism as a means of fostering grassroots diplomacy.
Source: Qingdao Municipal People’s Government
CONTACT: Contact person: Ms. Zhang, Tel: 86-10-63074558
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