French and Chinese Mayors Gather in Kunming

The 10th Roundtable of French and Chinese Mayors took place in Kunming, Yunnan province, from Nov 12 to 15.

Around 30 mayoral representatives from China and France, and representatives of French international enterprises such as Schneider and Suez Environnement gathered at the event.

Discussions outlining the opportunities and challenges of development in the city were held under the topic "Network City and Sustainable Development City".

The Mayor of Kunming, Wang Xiliang, welcomed the guests in an opening speech and Vice Mayor, Guan Qinghua, reviewed the close relationship between Kunming and France by looking back at the history of cooperation between the two sides in terms of the economy, education, culture and tourism. Guan also recommended Kunming as a place for investment and exchange to attendees and expressed his hope for further exchange and communication between French and Chinese mayors.

The Roundtable of French and Chinese Mayors was initiated in 2004 and is alternately held in China and France. It has been held in five French cities and four in China (Chengdu, Chongqing, Tianjin and Yangzhou).

Following the roundtable discussions, the mayors took a tour of the Yunnan Shilin World Geological Park and investigated the pollution management systems in place at Dianchi Lake.