友好城市：譜寫民間外交事業(yè)新篇章

中國國際友好城市工作的發(fā)展進(jìn)程

在我國，國際友好城市（以下簡稱“友城”）是指我國省、自治區(qū)、直轄市及其所轄城市與外國省(州、縣、大區(qū)、道等）、城市之間建立的聯(lián)誼與合作關(guān)系。

我國的友城發(fā)展大致可以分為以下3個(gè)階段:

第一階段“起步探索階段”：1973年—1978年，我國共締結(jié)了6對(duì)國際友好城市，僅限于和日本一個(gè)國家。

第二階段“深入發(fā)展階段”：1978年—1991年，我國進(jìn)入改革開放新時(shí)期，對(duì)外交往日趨頻繁，國際友城活動(dòng)開始步入正常發(fā)展軌道。我國締結(jié)國際友好城市發(fā)展到390對(duì)，擴(kuò)展到許多國家，友好往來拓展到經(jīng)濟(jì)、文化、教育、人才培訓(xùn)等多領(lǐng)域。

第三階段“蓬勃發(fā)展階段”：1992年至今，由中國人民對(duì)外友好協(xié)會(huì)（以下簡稱“全國友協(xié)”）于1992年發(fā)起成立了中國國際友好城市聯(lián)合會(huì)（以下簡稱“友城聯(lián)合會(huì)”），標(biāo)志著我國的國際友城活動(dòng)進(jìn)入了統(tǒng)一、協(xié)調(diào)、可持續(xù)發(fā)展的新階段。隨著我國改革開放的深化，各城市經(jīng)濟(jì)實(shí)力不斷增強(qiáng)，對(duì)外交流活動(dòng)日趨頻繁，友城工作取得了巨大發(fā)展。

1999年，我會(huì)代表中國地方政府正式加入世界城市和地方政府聯(lián)合組織(United Cities and Local Governments, UCLG)的前身地方政府國際聯(lián)盟，并成為UCLG的創(chuàng)始成員。UCLG是世界上最大的地方政府聯(lián)合組織，會(huì)員遍布120多個(gè)國家，代表全球一半以上人口。在我會(huì)的積極推動(dòng)下，目前，中國大陸已有22個(gè)城市成為其會(huì)員，我國在該組織中的影響不斷上升，成為我國城市外交的全新領(lǐng)域。

時(shí)任全國政協(xié)主席賈慶林會(huì)見出席2010中國國際友好城市大會(huì)的各國代表。

中國國際友好城市工作取得的成果

友城數(shù)量增長迅速。2000年以來，我國每年友城結(jié)對(duì)數(shù)量都保持較高增長速度。截至目前,我國已有31個(gè)省、自治區(qū)、直轄市（不包括臺(tái)灣省及港、澳特別行政區(qū)）和464個(gè)城市與世界五大洲134個(gè)國家的499個(gè)?。ㄖ?、縣、大區(qū)、道等）和1546個(gè)城市建立了2340對(duì)友好省州和友好城市關(guān)系。

友城質(zhì)量大幅提高。隨著國家開放力度不斷加大，中外友好城市之間在經(jīng)濟(jì)貿(mào)易、城市建設(shè)、技術(shù)研發(fā)、環(huán)境保護(hù)、教育文化、農(nóng)業(yè)合作、醫(yī)療衛(wèi)生等領(lǐng)域開展了諸多富有成效的交流與合作。為鼓勵(lì)我國地方城市與各自友城間積極開展多領(lǐng)域、多層次的務(wù)實(shí)合作，我會(huì)設(shè)立了“國際友好城市交流合作獎(jiǎng)”“國際友好城市特別貢獻(xiàn)獎(jiǎng)”和“對(duì)華友好城市交流合作獎(jiǎng)”，在每兩年舉辦的中國國際友好城市大會(huì)上，對(duì)在友好城市工作中作出突出貢獻(xiàn)的中外城市進(jìn)行表彰。

友城合作創(chuàng)新不斷。經(jīng)歷了40多年的發(fā)展，中外友好城市充分發(fā)揮各自地緣、資源、文化等方面的優(yōu)勢(shì)，在合作方式上不斷突破創(chuàng)新，探索形成了高層訪問、民間互訪、創(chuàng)辦論壇、金融投資、對(duì)口支援等合作方式，發(fā)展空間不斷拓寬，交流合作日益深化。

友城品牌持續(xù)加強(qiáng)。近年來，隨著中外友城交流合作的不斷深入，一些項(xiàng)目的品牌效應(yīng)也逐步顯現(xiàn)，在世界舞臺(tái)上的知名度和影響力也越來越大。中國國際友好城市大會(huì)，從2008年開始每兩年一屆，迄今已在北京、上海、成都和廣州成功舉辦了4次，得到了我國家領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人、世界各國地方政府及國際城市組織的充分認(rèn)可，已發(fā)展成為中國研討國際友好城市活動(dòng)和開展中外地方交流的最具影響力的專門性國際論壇。

友城工作未來發(fā)展的方向

2013 年3 月，在汪洋副總理與俄羅斯戈羅杰茨副總理見證下，中國人民對(duì)外友好協(xié)會(huì)會(huì)長李小林與俄羅斯聯(lián)邦獨(dú)聯(lián)體事務(wù)、海外僑民及國際人文合作署署長科薩喬夫簽署合作協(xié)議。

2014年習(xí)近平主席在出席全國友協(xié)成立60周年紀(jì)念大會(huì)上指出，要推進(jìn)民間外交、城市外交、公共外交，大力開展國際友好城市工作，促進(jìn)中外地方政府交流，推動(dòng)實(shí)現(xiàn)資源共享、優(yōu)勢(shì)互補(bǔ)、合作共贏。習(xí)主席的重要指示，為新時(shí)期如何做好友城工作指明了方向。

構(gòu)建全球友城關(guān)系網(wǎng)，助力打造人類命運(yùn)共同體。2015年9月，在聯(lián)合國成立70周年系列峰會(huì)上，習(xí)近平主席全面闡述打造人類命運(yùn)共同體的內(nèi)涵，描繪了國際關(guān)系發(fā)展的美好前景，成為中國特色大國外交理論創(chuàng)新的重大成果。習(xí)近平主席強(qiáng)調(diào)，我們要在國際和區(qū)域?qū)用娼ㄔO(shè)全球伙伴關(guān)系，走出一條“對(duì)話而不對(duì)抗，結(jié)伴而不結(jié)盟”的國與國交往新路。全國友協(xié)所做的工作概括起來就是交朋友。友好城市是我們交朋友的重要渠道，通過締結(jié)友城關(guān)系，可以增進(jìn)與世界各國家人民之間的相互了解，深化友誼，增進(jìn)合作。通過我國遍布世界五大洲134個(gè)國家的1500多個(gè)友好城市，構(gòu)建起全球友城關(guān)系網(wǎng)，必將有助于我國建設(shè)全球伙伴關(guān)系，助力打造人類命運(yùn)共同體。

2012 年10 月，中國人民對(duì)外友好協(xié)會(huì)、中國傳媒大學(xué)、 哥倫比亞駐華使館在北京共同主辦首屆“哥倫比亞電影節(jié)”。

2010 年4 月，中國人民對(duì)外友好協(xié)會(huì)與美國沃特財(cái)務(wù)集團(tuán)在上海共同主辦沃特金融峰會(huì)。

友城搭臺(tái)、地方唱戲，不斷提升地方對(duì)外開放水平。我國是一個(gè)發(fā)展中大國，發(fā)展仍然是我黨執(zhí)政興國的第一要?jiǎng)?wù)。我國外交工作的一項(xiàng)重要使命就是為國內(nèi)發(fā)展服務(wù)，落到實(shí)處，就是要為國內(nèi)各省區(qū)市的對(duì)外開放和互利合作牽線搭橋。目前，我會(huì)擁有近500個(gè)會(huì)員城市，并且數(shù)量還在不斷增長中。近年來，為促進(jìn)中外地方交流，我會(huì)相繼創(chuàng)辦中國國際友好城市大會(huì)、中美省州長論壇、中日省長知事論壇、中印地方合作論壇、中法地方政府高層論壇、中波地方合作論壇、中坦城市對(duì)話會(huì)等一批高質(zhì)量的論壇會(huì)議，中外地方政府交流機(jī)制內(nèi)容不斷充實(shí)，范圍不斷擴(kuò)大。

優(yōu)化友城布局，均衡地區(qū)發(fā)展。針對(duì)我國友城現(xiàn)階段發(fā)展不均衡的情況，今后的友城工作要在國內(nèi)和對(duì)外兩方面優(yōu)化布局，均衡發(fā)展。首先，要不斷完善友城發(fā)展國內(nèi)布局。在繼續(xù)大力促進(jìn)我國東部沿海省市國際友城的發(fā)展的同時(shí)，進(jìn)一步加快我國中西部地區(qū)國際友城的發(fā)展，使我國友城發(fā)展形成以東部帶動(dòng)中西部地區(qū)國際友城發(fā)展的良性循環(huán)態(tài)勢(shì)。其次，還要不斷完善友城發(fā)展對(duì)外布局。要繼續(xù)鞏固加強(qiáng)與周邊近鄰國家的友城關(guān)系，發(fā)展與西方先進(jìn)國家的友城關(guān)系，重點(diǎn)推動(dòng)與“一帶一路”沿線及拉美、非洲、南亞、東南歐國家的友城關(guān)系，形成全方位、多領(lǐng)域的對(duì)外交流合作態(tài)勢(shì)。

促進(jìn)友城交流全民參與，搭建官方民間互動(dòng)平臺(tái)。今年7月，習(xí)近平主席在致2016年二十國集團(tuán)民間社會(huì)會(huì)議的賀信中強(qiáng)調(diào)，民間社會(huì)組織是各國民眾參與公共事務(wù)、推動(dòng)經(jīng)濟(jì)社會(huì)發(fā)展的重要力量。友城交流作為民間外交的重要組成部分，上接各級(jí)政府，下至草根民眾，具有官民并舉的獨(dú)特性。今后在開展友好城市工作中，既要重視開展政府、議會(huì)間的交流，也要重視開展各行業(yè)、各民間社會(huì)團(tuán)體之間的交流，通過調(diào)動(dòng)普通民眾參與友城交流的積極性，搭建官方民間互動(dòng)平臺(tái)，聽取社會(huì)聲音、凝聚社會(huì)共識(shí)，進(jìn)一步推動(dòng)政府和民間形成良性互動(dòng)，通力合作，攜手并進(jìn)，共同推進(jìn)經(jīng)濟(jì)社會(huì)持續(xù)健康發(fā)展。

經(jīng)過40多年的快速發(fā)展，不論是在數(shù)量、質(zhì)量還是管理水平上，我國的國際友好城市工作都進(jìn)入了一個(gè)穩(wěn)定和有序發(fā)展的新時(shí)期。盡管我國和一些國家的雙邊關(guān)系偶遇波折，但雙方的友好城市交往一直繼續(xù)，這也表明我國友好城市的發(fā)展已經(jīng)進(jìn)入了較為成熟的時(shí)期。今后，我國的國際友城交往將不斷向多層次和寬領(lǐng)域發(fā)展，友好城市在促進(jìn)地方經(jīng)濟(jì)和社會(huì)的發(fā)展中將扮演越來越重要的角色。

（全國友協(xié)、友城聯(lián)合會(huì)供稿、供圖）

Development of the Friendship Cities

In China, the international friendship cities (hereafter shortened as “friendship cities”) refer to the friendship and cooperation relationship established between provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and other cities of China and provinces (including states, counties, and districts) and cities of foreign countries.

The development of friendship cities establishment in China has gone through three phases listed as follows:

Phase I – “the early exploration phase” from 1973 to 1978 during which we established 6 pairs of friendship cities with Japan only.

Phase II – “the gradual expansion phase” from 1978 to 1991 during which China ushered in a new era of reform and openingup and exchanges with foreign countries went more and more frequently, so the establishment of friendship cities continued in an orderly way. The friendship cities increased to 390 pairs with many countries other than Japan and the cooperation fi elds also were expanded to economy, culture, education and human resources training and so on.

Phase III – “the rapid expansion phase” from 1992 till now during which The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (hereafter shortened as the CPAFFC) proposed and founded the China International Friendship Cities Association (hereafter shortened as the CIFCA) in 1992, which indicates that this activity has come to a brand new stage characterized by high degree of consistency, balance and sustainable development. Up till now, great progress has been achieved in the establishment of friendship cities together with China’s increasingly deepened reform and opening-up, enhanced economic strength and frequent foreign exchanges.

In 1999, the CIFCA entered, on behalf of Chinese government, the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), formerly known as the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA) as one of its original member. As the largest union for local governments, the UCLG more than 120 member countries all over the world, accounting for half and more populations of the world. With the active promotion of the CIFCA, there are currently 22 cities in China included into UCLG as members, which grants more says to China and proves to be a brand new fi eld we could tap into in terms of cities exchanges.

Achievements of the Establishment of Friendship Cities

Rapidly increased friendship cities number. Since the year of 2000, the number of friendship cities established has been growing rapidly. Up till now, 2,340 pairs of friendship provinces/ states and cities have been established between 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities (excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions) and 464 cities in China and 499 provinces (including states, counties, and districts) and 1,546 cities of 134 foreign countries from fi ve continents.

Highly improved quality of friendship cities. On the one side, China continues in the way of further deepening and widening the fields its reform and opening-up covers, which allows the friendship cities to expand the exchanges and cooperation to more areas ,including economic trading, cities construction, technology research and development, environment protection, education, agricultural cooperation and medical health and so on. On the other side, in order to encourage the practical cooperation of multiple fi elds in various levels between friendship cities, the CIFCA puts forward several types of prizes so that friendship cities with outstanding contributions could be honored the way they deserve on “China International Friendship Cities Conference” held biennially, including the “International Friendship Cities Exchange and Cooperation Award”,“International Friendship Cities Outstanding Contribution Award”and “China’s Friendship Cities Exchange and Cooperation Award”.

Increasingly diversifi ed cooperation modes between friendship cities. After more than 40 years of development, the friendship cities, on the basis of their own geographic and cultural advantages, have been cooperating in more diversifi ed modes, including high-level of government visits, non-government visits, forums, financial investments and partner assistance, which indicates a further expanded and deepened exchange and cooperation between them.

Increasingly improved brand effect of friendship cities. In recent years, some projects, owing to the deepened cooperation between friendship cities, reveal a more and more obvious brand effect and grow increasingly infl uential on the world stage. For example, the biennial China International Friendship Cities Conference, which has been successfully held four times in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou respectively since 2008, has been fully acknowledged by leaders of China, other local governments and international cities organizations all over the world and developed to be one of the most infl uential international forums for discussions about activities of friendship cities and for exchanges between China and foreign countries.

Future Directions of Friendship Cities Development In 2014, President Xi Jinping pointed out on the 60th Anniversary Conference of CPAFFC that more efforts should be made to promote people-to people diplomacy, city-to-city diplomacy, public diplomacy, friendship cities development and exchanges of local government between China and other countries so as to achieve resources sharing, advantages complementing and winwin situation, which indicates our ways forward in the future for friendship cities work.

To build a globally connected friendship cities network and a community of common destiny for all mankind. On a series of summits celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations in September, 2015, President Xi Jinping elaborated on how to establish a community of common destiny for all mankind and drew a promising picture for the development of international relationships, which marked the great achievement brought forward by the great-power diplomatic theory with Chinese characteristics. President Xi Jinping also emphasized that we should establish a globally connected partnership both in international and regional levels so as to initiate a brand new mode for country-to-country relationships, that is, “dialogues over confrontations and being partnered instead of being aligned”. The main job for the CPAFFC is to make friends while the friendship cities prove to be an important channel for it in terms of enhancing mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation between Chinese people and people of other countries. Given that we have established over 1,500 pairs of friendship cities with 134 foreign countries all over the world, we are already half way to build a globally connected friendship cities network and a community of common destiny for all mankind.

To upgrade the reform and opening-up level of local cities via the platform of friendship cities. As a major developing country, development remains the fi rst priority for the Communist Party to govern and rejuvenate China in a better way. One important mission of our diplomatic work is to serve the domestic development, which, specifi cally speaking, refers to acting as a go-between for provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and cities of China to open up to and have reciprocal cooperation with other countries. At present, the number of member cities owned by the CPAFFC has increased to 500 and is still on the rise. The CPAFFC also has organized a series of high-quality forums and conferences to promote a more effi cient exchange for cities between China and foreign countries, such as the China International Friendship Cities Conference, China-U. S. Governors Forum, China-Japan Governors Forum, China-India Local Governments Cooperation Forum, China-France Local Governments Forum, China-Poland Local Governments Cooperation Forum and China-Tanzania Cities Dialogue Session and so on, which shows that the exchange mechanism and extent between China and foreign countries has been gradually enriched and widened.

To optimize the friendship cities’ layout and balance regional development. More priorities shall be given to optimize the layout of friendship cities home and abroad considering the fact that they are already distributed disproportionately. Firstly, the layout should be balanced between the east and the west within China, namely, while we continue to promote the further development of coastal provinces and cities of the east, efforts should be made to establish more friendship cities in west region so that a benign cycle could be formed where the east development could serve as successful experiences for the west and infl uence the latter in a positive way. Secondly, the layout concerning foreign countries should also be balanced. On the one side, we should continue to cement our friendships with developed countries of the west; on the other side, priorities should be given to establish more friendship cities with peripheral countries and countries of other continents, especially with countries along the Belt and Road line and of Latin-America, Africa, South Asia and Southeast Europe, so that the future diplomatic exchanges could be carried out in an all-round and multiple-fi eld way.

To encourage a whole participation of people and set up an interaction platform between government and citizens. In July of this year, President Xi Jinping stressed in the “Congratulations Letter on the 2016 G20 Non-government Societies Conference”that non-government organizations function as an important platform through which more people could take part in public affairs and the economic development could be strengthened. Being a crucial part of non-government diplomacy, the friendship cities work as a bridge connecting governments and common people. So, more importance should be attached to both exchanges between governments and congresses and exchanges between various industries and non-government societies to encourage wider participation among common people, set up interaction platform for government and people, listen to people’s voice and aggregate social consensus, which would create a positive atmosphere for benign interactions and close cooperation between the government and people and therefore embrace a sustainable development of economic society.

In conclusion, the development of friendship cities, after more than 40 years of rapid development, has reached a new phase which is stable and orderly in terms of quantity, quality and management level. Despite the fact that the bilateral relationships between China and some countries might hit the rocks occasionally, the communication between friendship cities of these countries, however, keeps moving forward positively, which also implies that the friendship cities function in a relatively sound and mature system of their own. In the future, exchanges between friendship cities will expand to deeper layers and broader fi elds and play an increasingly important role in boosting the development of local economy and society.

(Provided by China International Friendship Cities Association)

Friendship Cities: A New Chapter for People-to-People Diplomacy