>>10933474>The surprisingly vital role sister cities play in Chinese diplomacyGothenburg and Shanghai are linked by a long history of not just trade, but also research, politics, and culture. Gothenburg is Sweden’s second city, and a hub for industry and shipping. Over the years, it has attracted major Chinese investments, including the 2010 purchase of Volvo, which is headquartered in Gothenburg.
In 1986, Gothenburg and Shanghai signed a “memorandum of cooperation.
>In 2003, they became “sister cities,” and began working together on all kinds of things, from trade to sports.>For China, sister city arrangements are much more than just an extra flag at the local airport. They are an important component of Chinese diplomacy.>They help establish cultural links by encouraging student exchanges, art and language residencies, and cultural performances at the local level. And they have become especially important to China’s signature foreign policy, an infrastructure investment project called the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).>Last year, the state-run outlet China Daily quoted Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, as saying that “Sister city relations play an important role in boosting cooperation and exchanges among Chinese and foreign cities under the framework of the BRI.”>Chinese cities have paired up with more than 700 cities around the world. Beijing alone is sister cities with no fewer than 21 capitals of countries that have signed on to the BRI.>In a recently-published report (pdf) on the 17 + 1 policy framework, which unites China and a group of Central and Eastern European nations, the research group China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe (CHOICE) found that sister city arrangements are a key way for Beijing to bridge cultural and business ties.PDF:
https://chinaobservers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CHOICE_Empty-shell-no-more.pdf2/4
