The 14th Metropolis World Congress and Brussels Urban Summit were held from June 12 to 15 in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium. Over 2000 representatives consisting of 150 mayors and other government officials, scholars and experts and business delegates from more than 600 cities of 118 countries and regions participated in person or virtually for in-depth discussion and communication on inter-city exchange and cooperation and joint response to global challenges. The four-day meeting, including a series of statutory meetings, policy debates, thematic sessions and site visits, is the first offline world congress organized by Metropolis since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

As the representatives of 28 member cities of Chinese mainland, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan and Hangzhou were re-elected as Metropolis board of directors members at the Metropolis General Assembly held on the afternoon of June 14 (local time). Fuzhou’s re-election as Metropolis board of directors member showcases the recognition from the international community for Fuzhou’s commitment to global urban governance. During the Congress, Fuzhou delegation attended the Metropolis Board of Directors Meeting, the Metropolis General Assembly, the UCLG Executive Bureau Meeting, the opening and closing ceremonies as well as thematic sessions of Brussels Urban Summit and the Asia Caucus. The delegation also met and communicated with Mr. Jordi Vaquer, Secretary General of Metropolis, Ms. Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of UCLG and Dr. Bernadia Tjandradewi, Secretary General of UCLG ASPAC about the concrete cooperation between Fuzhou, 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee, UCLG and Metropolis.  

Established in 1985, developing with the increase of multilateral exchanges between worldwide cities, Metropolis is an international organization that links global metropolises and an important platform for multilateral cooperation between cities. Fuzhou acceded to Metropolis in 2012 and was first elected as a board of directors member in 2020. Fuzhou’s re-election as the Metropolis board directors member will make the voice of cities from Chinese mainland, especially Fuzhou’s voice better heard by Metropolis and also improve the visibility and influence of Fuzhou and 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee in  international community and among Metropolis members. It is also of positive significance for Fuzhou to make more international friends, expand new space for multilateral cooperation and build itself into an international modern city. 

Source: 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee