The event with the theme of "Get to know each other in sister cities, have an appointment in Suzhou" was held in Suzhou, reviewing and looking forward to the profound exchanges between Suzhou and many sister cities around the world.
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Since establishing the first pair of sister cities with Venice, Italy in 1980, Suzhou has established extensive sister city relationships with many countries and regions.
China News Service, Suzhou, October 29 (Reporter Chang Mucheng) The 2026 Suzhou International Sister Cities Carnival with the theme of "Sister-cities get to know each other and have an appointment in Suzhou" was launched at the Suzhou Planning Exhibition Hall on the morning of the 29th. Since establishing the first pair of sister cities with Venice, Italy in 1980, Suzhou currently has 61 international sister cities and more than 50 international friendly exchange cities, covering Europe, America, Asia, Oceania and Africa.
"Sister-city signing is just a 'shell', and both parties need to fill it with specific projects." Thierry Joseph, chairman of the France-China Friendship Association of Bourgoin-Jarion, France, said that since 2008, the two places have started to hold food festivals in each other's country. In the past 20 years, hundreds of young people have used cooking skills as a link to continue to enhance non-governmental cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Chen Jiafu, representative of Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul Investment Promotion Agency in China, extended an invitation to Suzhou to attend the 6th Brazil South Summit in Porto Alegre. He said that the summit can not only build an international platform for innovation, entrepreneurship and investment, but also promote the extension of cooperation between the two places from cultural exchanges to industrial collaboration, and build a solid foundation for cooperation between the two cities with the friendship between the two cities.
In July 2016, Pointe-Noire City in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) and Suzhou established sister cities. Jin Hao'an, an international student at Suzhou Agricultural Vocational and Technical College, said that for him, this sister-city agreement is not only cooperation at the government level, but also his "ticket" to study in Suzhou and an opportunity to change his destiny. He hopes to continue to be a good civil messenger between Heijiao and Suzhou in the future, bring the knowledge he learned and the friendship he forged in Suzhou back to his hometown, and tell the story of Suzhou to Heijiao.
Li Xueji, deputy chief physician of Suzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, and Zhu Haijun, chief of the cooperation and exchange section of Suzhou Garden and Greening Administration Bureau, respectively told the stories of sister cities where traditional Chinese medicine went overseas and gardens exchanged with other countries.
The award ceremony of the "Sister-City · Acquaintance" global creation competition was also held on site. The winning works were exhibited at the 2026 Suzhou International Sister-City Carnival Special Exhibition to showcase creativity from all over the world to the public. (over)

South Korea's National Intelligence Service stated on the 29th that North Korea is gradually consolidating the image of leader Kim Jong-un's daughter Kim Jong-ae as the successor. Sixty percent of its public activities are concentrated in the military field to strengthen the political narrative of the future military commander and confirm that "Kim Jong-ae" is her real name.

Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs assistant Oshakov said on the 28th that the time for the next round of trilateral talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine will be affected by the situation in the Middle East and will add variables. He denied the willingness of European countries to participate in the talks and emphasized that the current agreement is limited to Russia, Ukraine and the United States.

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Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Huang Ling said at a regular press conference on October 29 that the China-Peru Free Trade Agreement Upgrade Protocol will officially take effect on November 1. This move will deepen China-Peru economic and trade relations and create a more favorable environment for enterprises.

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