Wu Tianhong, General Manager of the Global Times makes a speech at the Second Conference on High-Quality Development and International Cooperation of Chinese Cities held in Beijing on August 30, 2022.

The Second Conference on High-Quality Development and International Cooperation of Chinese Cities, organized by the Global Times, was held in Beijing on Tuesday using a hybrid of both online and offline formats.

Wu Tianhong, General Manager of the Global Times said in a speech that central cities and city clusters are playing a strategic role in the country's focus on technological self-reliance and self-sufficiency laid out in the blueprint envisaged by the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), making them the backbone of China's growing global competitiveness.

Gao Guoli, Director-general of the China Centre for Urban Development of National Development and Reform Commission, said that China had seven megacities and 14 supercities as of the end of 2020, but small and medium cities still dominated the country's urban footprint.

Gao Guoli, Director-general of the China Centre for Urban Development of National Development and Reform Commission makes a speech at the conference held in Beijing on August 30, 2022.

Given the numbers and locations of cities of different sizes, we need to take into account our unique national conditions in our plan to promote high-quality development of Chinese cities, he said.

Jin Xu, President of the China Society of International Trade, said that high-quality development of cities should prioritize differentiated development to avoid homogenous orientation that leads to unnecessary competition.

Jin Xu, President of the China Society of International Trade makes a speech at the conference held in Beijing on August 30, 2022.

Changsha in Central China's Hunan Province is an important city within the Belt and Road Initiative. The China (Hunan) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) was established in September 2020, of which the Changsha Area covers 79.98 square kilometers. Qiu Jixing, Member of the Standing Committee of Changsha Municipal Party Committee, and Party Secretary of the Working Committee of the FTA Changsha Area, said the Changsha Area was determined to achieve its goal of becoming a top 10 FTZ in China.

Qiu Jixing, Member of the Standing Committee of Changsha Municipal Party Committee, and Party Secretary of the Working Committee of the FTA Changsha Area makes a speech at the conference held in Beijing on August 30, 2022.

Zhang Jifei, Member of the Standing Committee of Hohhot Municipal Party Committee, and Vice Mayor of Hohhot in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said that over recent years, Hohhot has prioritized six major industrial clusters based on its natural resources and industrial infrastructure, four of which have already become nationally competitive. The region is enhancing its strategic position as the "vanguard" in China's opening-up to the north, he said.

Zhang Jifei, Member of the Standing Committee of Hohhot Municipal Party Committee, and Vice Mayor of Hohhot in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region makes a speech at the conference held in Beijing on August 30, 2022.

Miyun District of Beijing is an important ecological conservation area and drinking water protection area for the capital. Ma Xinming, Deputy Secretary of Party Committee of Miyun District, and District Mayor, stated that the district has been honoring its top priority with an unceasing focus on ecological development since the completion of the Miyun Reservoir in 1960.

Ma Xinming, Deputy Secretary of Party Committee of Miyun District in Beijing, and District Mayor makes a speech at the conference held in Beijing on August 30, 2022.

Keqiao District in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang Province is the trade center of Shaoxing. Chen Hao, the district's Party Secretary, said the area has transformed itself into an "international capital of textiles" after 44 years of development since the reform and opening-up first began.

Chen Hao, Keqiao District's Party Secretary in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang Province makes a speech at the conference held in Beijing on August 30, 2022.

Hanyin county is located in the Qinba area in the southern part of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Liu Feixia, the county's Party Secretary, said Hanyin has maintained a path of high-quality development especially in integrating ecology and economy. It takes advantage of the area's rich selenium resources and develops selenium-rich food industry.

Liu Feixia, Hanyin county's Party Secretary in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province makes a speech at the conference held in Beijing on August 30, 2022.

Wang Yun, Mayor of Hejin in North China's Shanxi Province said that the city is a major transportation hub for the province. As an industrial city with rich resources, Hejin is both an important energy and chemical industrial base and a 10 million ton coking base serving the province.

Wang Yun, Mayor of Hejin in North China's Shanxi Province makes a video speech at the conference held in Beijing on August 30, 2022.

Qingdao Sino-German Ecopark is the first sustainable development demonstrative cooperation project between governments of China and Germany. Wang Li, Deputy Party Secretary of the Working Committee, and Executive Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of Qingdao Sino-German Ecopark, noted that the Ecopark has proposed 40 ecological indicators, six of which are first proposals raised in China, and were included in working guidelines issued by the Ministry of Commerce.

Wang Li, Deputy Party Secretary of the Working Committee, and Executive Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of Qingdao Sino-German Ecopark, makes a video speech at the conference held in Beijing on August 30, 2022.

The Qingdao Area of Shandong FTZ in East China's Shandong Province serves as the "vanguard" of the province's opening-up agenda, and officials said it needs to fulfill important strategic missions and responsibilities in the province's plan to become a pioneer in further opening-up.

In addition, participants of the meeting included Chengdu, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Longnan, Suzhou Industrial Park, Chengdu Economic and Technological Development Zone, Qingdao Economic and Technological Development Zone, Chengdu Sino-French Ecopark, Shuangliu District of Chengdu, Yuecheng District of Shaoxing, Meihekou, Pizhou, Chenghua District of Chengdu, Jinghu New Area of Shaoxing, and Longyao county of Hebei.