The 15th EU-China High-Level Seminar on Regional Policy Cooperation took place on Feb 27 in Taicang, a county-level city in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

Over 100 government officials, experts, and scholars from the European Union, various European countries and regions, as well as China gathered to discuss globally significant topics such as sustainable urban development and regional cooperation. The aim was to deepen collaboration between China and the Europe in the green and low-carbon fields, addressing climate change challenges and jointly building a greener and more sustainable future.

During the seminar, a video review highlighted the achievements of the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Programme, or IURC, over the past three years. Additionally, a signing ceremony was held for regional cooperation agreements between China and certain European regions.

Renowned experts from China and European countries and regions delivered keynote speeches and participated in group discussions on various themes at the seminar. The event also provided an opportunity for representatives to showcase their experiences in promoting regional innovation, industrial transformation, and high-quality economic development, discussing ways to strengthen cooperation in regional innovation within the framework of EU-China regional collaboration mechanism.

The seminar marked its return to China after a five-year hiatus. It not only solidified the foundation for extensive cooperation in various fields of sustainable development between Chinese and European cities, but also served as a positive promotion for the host city, Taicang.

In recent years, Taicang has significantly deepened its engagement with the world. The city has fostered strong ties with European countries, attracting high-quality enterprises from countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.

Its collaboration with Germany, in particular, has gained national acclaim. With over 30 years of dedicated cooperation with German enterprises, Taicang has become one of the most concentrated regions for Sino-German collaboration, hosting 500 German-invested enterprises, including more than 60 hidden champions.

Moreover, Taicang places emphasis on environmentally-friendly industrial development. The city has charted a path for mutually beneficial Sino-European green development, with a consistent annual decrease of over 3 percent in energy consumption per unit of GDP. This commitment to green development earned the city the title of Sino-European Pioneer in Green and Smart City.

A group photo of attendees at the seminar. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Experts from China and European countries and regions discuss ecological transition and green development at the seminar. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]