Guangdong received the Outstanding Contribution to International Friendship Cities Award in Xi'an on Oct 22. It was one of 20 Chinese provincial and municipal governments honored.

The 2026 China International Friendship Cities Conference ran from Oct 20 to 22. The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the China International Friendship Cities Association and the Shaanxi Provincial People's Government hosted it.

The Xi'an municipal government and the Shaanxi People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries organized the event.

More than 700 participants attended from 61 countries and regions. They included representatives from over 100 provinces and states, 140 cities and more than 60 local government and friendship organizations.

Zhang Qingwei, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, addressed the opening ceremony.

The theme was centered on "Jointly Building Friendship City Cooperation and Pursuing Common Urban Development". At the closing session, 40 foreign provinces, states and cities received the Outstanding Partner Award for Friendship with China. Hawaii and Asan were among them, paired with Guangdong and Dongguan.

He Rusheng, deputy director of the Guangdong Foreign Affairs Office and vice president of the Guangdong People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, led the Guangdong and Dongguan delegations. Hawaii and Asan sent delegations at Guangdong's invitation.

Guangdong maintains 216 sister-province and sister-city relationships with 67 countries and regions, 49 of which are at the provincial level, ranking second nationwide. It also holds 369 friendship and cooperation city pairs. The conference adopted the Xi'an Initiative on local government cooperation.

The opening ceremony of the friendship cities conference draws a full house of delegates in Xi'an.