Chinese, Brazilian twin cities bolster ties

Visitors admire bougainvillea in Xiamen, Fujian province, in March 2023. The plant, which is indigenous to South American countries including Brazil, was designated as Xiamen’s city flower in 1986. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

Xiamen, a coastal city in East China's Fujian province, will continue sharing expertise in health and governance with Fortaleza, a port city in northeastern Brazil, following the establishment of a sisterly relationship in May last year, local authorities said.

The sister cities are also known as "BRICS Twin Cities", because both have hosted summits for BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the original members of the group of emerging economies.

The cities will intensify cooperation, particularly through exchanges of medical expertise between the Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital affiliated with Xiamen University and Hospital de Messejana, a leading cardiovascular institution in Fortaleza, according to the Xiamen city government.

Furthermore, Xiamen officials will continue to invite their Fortaleza counterparts to participate in training sessions at an innovation base for BRICS partners in Fujian, the city government said in a written response to China Daily.

The collaboration between the two cities to combat cardiovascular diseases — the leading cause of deaths globally according to the World Health Organization — intensified in March, when Hospital de Messejana sent a doctor to Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital for a six-month research and study program.

The following month, the two hospitals formalized their partnership by signing an agreement to cooperate in areas such as cardiovascular diagnosis, talent training and health information technologies.

The signing ceremony was attended by Cui Yonghui, the Party secretary of Xiamen, and Elmano de Freitas, governor of Ceara, the Brazilian state where Fortaleza is located. They vowed to bolster cooperation in health, ports and logistics, education, culture and talent training — a commitment that aligns with the celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil this year.

In September, the two hospitals convened a virtual forum on cardiovascular health, as part of efforts by China to enhance cardiovascular exchanges and cooperation among BRICS nations.

Since the establishment of the cities' sisterly ties, four officials from Fortaleza's municipal government, economic sector and port authorities have participated in training programs organized in Xiamen as part of the initiative of building an innovation base for BRICS partnership on the new industrial revolution.

The initiative was proposed by President Xi Jinping during the 12th BRICS Summit in November 2020, and was inaugurated in Xiamen in September 2021, offering BRICS nations the opportunity to use technological innovations and digital transformations stimulated by the new industrial revolution.

In July last year, officials from Fortaleza participated in training sessions focusing on the high-quality development of the marine economy in Xiamen.

Upon their return to Brazil, one of the officials shared with Xinhua News Agency his aspirations for further collaborative advancements in the marine economy sector with Xiamen, emphasizing the potential for a partnership in maritime hydrogen energy.

Flower of friendship

Meanwhile, in 1986, the bougainvillea, which is native to South America, was designated as Xiamen's city flower following its introduction to the region, symbolizing the cultural and botanical connections between the two cities.

Building on their newfound partnership last year, Xiamen and Fortaleza are collaborating across diverse sectors, including education, biopharmaceuticals, clean energy and innovative technologies. This pragmatic cooperation is designed to drive mutual progress and development in these critical areas, fostering shared growth for both cities.

During his visit to Fortaleza in April, Cui, the Party secretary of Xiamen, participated in a photography exhibition centered on the theme of the BRICS twin cities converging in goodwill. He also donated over 200 books to Fortaleza's library showcasing China's modernization endeavors, Chinese culture and the traditions of Xiamen.

Contact the writers at lilei@chinadaily.com.cn