Guangzhou expands intl influence in Montreal

On the second day of the event, June 20, Guangzhou organized a seminar – Cities in Action: Urban Innovation and the Local Implementation of the Global Agendas. The seminar was chaired by You Jianhua, a consultant for the Guangzhou Award.

Distinguished guests including mayor of Berlin, Germany Michael Muller, mayor of Surabaya, Indonesia Tri Rismaharini, editor-in-chief of Citiscope Neal Peirce, and George Ferguson, former mayor of the city of Bristol, the United Kingdom, gathered to discuss responsibilities of local governments in carrying out global agendas.

"Guangzhou" and "Guangzhou Award" became buzzwords, frequently heard in guest speeches at the panel.

Guangzhou Award is the only global competition for urban management, according to Neal Peirce. He said it carries great value in sharing and exchanging practices of urban innovation from other countries.

"Guangzhou is a beautiful city," said Michael Muller. He even showed some of his photos of the Canton Tower from an earlier visit in 2012.

Guangzhou also shared with global leaders its experiences and practices in transportation improvement, water management, and urban renewal.

Guangzhou also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 20, to further enhance friendly exchanges and cooperation with its Canadian peer, Montreal. It marked the 30th friendly-city for the Guangdong province capital.

An attendee is interested in Guangzhou's exhibition on urban management in Montreal, Canada. [Photo/dayoo.com]