This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of friendship city relationship between Yancheng City of China and Namwon City of the Republic of Korea. On the afternoon of May 19, the Yancheng–Namwon Friendship City 30th Anniversary Dialogue was held in Yancheng. Mayor Yan Hanping and Namwon Mayor Choi Kyung-sik attended the meeting and delivered speeches respectively.

Yan Hanping welcomed the Namwon delegation. He noted that Namwon is Yancheng’s first friendship city in the Republic of Korea. Since the official twinning in 1996, the two cities have adhered to the principles of equality, mutual trust, mutual benefit and win-win results, conducting practical cooperation in government visits, economic and trade exchanges, cultural appreciation, and educational interaction, jointly writing a vivid chapter of China–ROK local friendly exchanges. He expressed hope that the two cities will take this event as an opportunity to further strengthen economic and trade cooperation, expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and enhance personnel interactions, striving to build an important pivot for China–ROK economic and trade cooperation, foster a community of shared future for generations-long friendship, create a new model of international friendship city cooperation, and jointly open a new three-decade chapter of friendship city relationships.

Choi Kyung-sik stated that Yancheng is an ecological city home to a World Natural Heritage site and a dynamic city striving for progress. Over the past 30 years, Namwon and Yancheng have built profound trust, working hand in hand, supporting each other, and achieving win-win outcomes in culture, art, tourism and other fields. He hoped that both sides will continue to deepen friendly cooperation, further expand collaboration in economy, culture, tourism, youth exchanges and people-to-people interactions, and steadily elevate bilateral friendly relationships.

At the event, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Deepening Friendship City Exchanges and Cooperation and exchanged friendship city souvenirs. After the dialogue, participants jointly planted a “Friendship Tree” symbolizing the enduring friendship between Yancheng and Namwon.

Prior to the dialogue, Yan Hanping met with Choi Kyung-sik and his delegation. Both sides agreed to give full play to their respective resource and industrial advantages, continue to deepen economic and trade cooperation, strengthen industrial alignment, expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and jointly achieve mutual benefit, win-win results and common development.