Beihai, a port city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, and Sines, Portugal, recently completed the procedures to formalise their sister-city relations, according to the People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Located on the north-eastern coast of the Beibu Gulf, Beihai was among the first group of Chinese coastal cities to open to the outside world and was an important port of departure on the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Sines is located in south-western Portugal and is also a port city.

According to the association, the two cities are important nodes in the Belt and Road Initiative. Both have port industrial parks and strong foundations in the energy and marine fisheries sectors.

The establishment of sister-city relations marked an important step forward in Guangxi’s efforts to deepen its opening-up to Europe and created a new platform for local exchanges and co-operation between China and Portugal, the association added.

A representative of the association said that the two sides would deepen practical co-operation in areas such as port intermodal transport, port industries, new energy, logistics and trade, while facilitating exchanges between Guangxi and Europe in the fields of economic and trade affairs, culture and tourism, education, and science and technology.

(Source: Xinhua, 5 August)