Pyeongtaek City to Fully Resume Exchanges with Seven Chinese Sister Cities

Enhancing the Status of an International City through Citizen-Participatory Exchanges
Jung Jangsun: "A Model Case for Cooperation Between Local Governments"

Pyeongtaek City in Gyeonggi Province will fully resume friendly exchanges with major Chinese cities, which had been suspended due to COVID-19 and other factors.

On June 2, Pyeongtaek City announced that it has finalized and will begin implementing the "International Exchange Promotion Plan with Chinese Sister Cities," which aims to strategically reorganize and expand cooperation with Chinese sister cities, whose exchanges had stagnated, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the city's integration.

Pyeongtaek City has established sister-city relationships with seven Chinese cities: Qingdao, Dalian, Rizhao, Yantai, Rongcheng, Ningbo, and Xiamen. However, exchanges had been suspended due to COVID-19 and diplomatic factors. Recently, with the improvement in bilateral relations following events such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and high-level meetings between South Korea and China, the city plans to expand exchanges with these cities.

The key elements of the plan include: establishing tailored exchange strategies for each city; restoring relations with inactive cities; deepening practical cooperation with active cities; and strengthening the foundation for collaboration with related organizations.

First, the city will resume exchanges, focusing on culture, arts, and sports, with cities such as Dalian, Qingdao, and Rongcheng, where exchanges had been suspended. For cities like Yantai and Xiamen, where exchanges have remained active, the scope of cooperation will be expanded to include youth, industry, and smart city sectors.

Next month, an official delegation of local university students will be dispatched to participate in the "International Youth Exchange Camp" to be held in Ningbo, China. This camp is an exchange program organized by Ningbo City, inviting youth from international sister cities to participate in joint agenda presentations, traditional culture experiences, and multicultural team projects. The city plans to use this dispatch as a stepping stone to establish a foundation for youth city diplomacy and to expand citizen-participatory international exchange policies.

Starting next year, the city plans to institutionalize the "One City, One Representative Exchange Project" to establish an international exchange system that is both practical and sustainable.

Mayor Jung Jangsun of Pyeongtaek stated, "This promotion plan will serve as a model case for practical cooperation between local governments of South Korea and China," adding, "We will ensure that the outcomes of international exchanges lead to tangible benefits for citizens and the local community."