International Exchanges

  Promoting ties with mayor associations and local government organizations of other countries, as well as assisting mayors and cities in expanding opportunities for international exchanges and cooperation, has always been a crucial undertaking of the China  Association of Mayors (CAM). In 1992, the CAM hosted its first major international conference since its establishment, the "Symposium on Urban Investment Environment of China." Over the subsequent 30 years, the CAM has leveraged its role as a bridge and bond in urban international exchanges, organizing over 80 international conferences. It has gradually developed several series of activities, including German-China Mayors' Roundtable, the ASEAN-China Mayors' Forum, the Central Asia-China High-Quality Urban Development Forum, the Russia-China Mayors' Roundtable, and the World Cities Day Mayors' Dialogue.

  Through organizing international conferences, conducting dialogues and exchange activities, and engaging in project cooperation, the CAM has established cooperative relationships with mayor associations and local government organizations in major countries and regions of the world. It has signed memorandum of understanding on cooperation with 19 counterpart and related institutions, which include local the All- Russian Association for The Development of Local Self-Government Development, the Association of Mayors of France , the United States Conference of Mayors, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Malaysian Association of Local Authorities etc., as well as domestically and internationally influential institutions like the German International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Paulson Institute, the United States. The CAM has played an active role in enhancing dialogues and communication between Chinese and foreign cities in areas such as urban planning, construction, management and sustainable urban development, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and promoting shared prosperity.

Mayor Training

  Conducting overseas training for mayors to enhance their capacities in urban planning, construction and management is a key component of the China Association of Mayors’ (CAM) efforts to serve the development of cities and the work of mayors. Over the past 30-plus years, under the cooperation framework between Chinese and foreign governments or between governmental departments, as well as cooperation agreements between the CAM and foreign institutions, the association has organized 76 overseas programs, training 1,510 mayors and government officials. These programs have been conducted in four countries: Germany, Denmark, the United States, and Singapore, with themes covering areas such as urban transformation and development, green development, and sustainable urbanization. These training initiatives not only have helped mayors broaden their international horizons and expand their ideas on urban governance, but also have fostered mutual learning between Chinese and foreign mayors, effectively promoting exchanges and cooperation between cities. The programs have received high recognition from relevant Chinese authorities and the participating mayors.

International Cooperation

  The China Association of Mayors has been keeping up pace with the rapid social and economic development of China. By fostering diverse and multidisciplinary collaboration, it has played a role in strengthening interactions between mayors and cities, boosting mutual trust, encouraging cooperation and building up valuable platform for mutual learning and sharing of experience in urban governance.

  In cooperation with the Starkey Hearing Foundation of the United States, CAM has co-organized the "So the World May Hear" China Mission. This project has provided hearing assistance for over 40,000 underprivileged individuals with hearing impairments across 17 cities in 9 provinces and regions in China.

  In partnership with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, CAM has jointly carried out the Sino-Sweden Citizen Service Centers and Symbio-City Program. The efforts aim to facilitate the development of citizen service centers and holistic city planning in Chinese cities. And as a part of this initiative, the two organizations have facilitated the municipal partnership between the City of Duyun in China and the City of Eskilstuna in Sweden, and have chosen the two cities as a pilot in promoting the establishment of citizen service center through the SymbioCity approach.