Officials from ASEAN cities attend Global Mayors Dialogue in Nanning

Mayors of Southeast Asian cities have arrived in south China's city of Nanning for the Global Mayors Dialogue, which opened on Wednesday.

The four-day event will see officials from Vientiane, Rangoon, Phnom Penh and other ASEAN cities holding talks with officials from cities including Nanning in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The region is a crucial gateway linking China and Southeast Asia. Key topics of the dialogue include trade, logistics, tourism and education. ‪

"I've come here to boost our bilateral cooperation, especially in tourism. Suratani boasts the beautiful Kho Samui and Ratchaprapha Dam. Under the Visa free scheme, Thailand would have more exchanges with Nanning," said Bundan Sathirachawal, deputy governor of Thailand's Surat Thani.

"I think we can learn a lot actually from Nanning City, how they administer this city - within a short period they become very modern actually," said Dato' Sri Dr. Haji Sabin Samitah, mayor of Malaysia's Kota Kinabalu.

"We've come here to cooperate especially with Nanning on tourism and cultural exchanges. We want to discuss the opportunity of direct flights between Nanning and Siem Reap. We also want to incorporate the smart city ideas here into our road map," said Hay Yong, vice mayor of Cambodia's Siem Reap Municipality.

China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years‬. 2025 ‪is the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.