On the morning of June 3, the Seminar on Mayoral Governance for Croatia, organized by the MOFCOM Training Base for International Business Officials (Shanghai) of Shanghai Business School (SBS), held its launch ceremony. Chen Wei, Secretary of the CPC branch of the College of International Education, and Jin Zhongmin, Professorate Senior Engineer at the Shanghai Urban Planning and Design Research Institute, attended the ceremony and delivered speeches.
China and Croatia established diplomatic relations in 1992. Although the two countries are separated by vast distances, the friendship between their peoples has a long and enduring history. From the trade exchanges along the ancient Silk Road to the deep alignment under the modern Belt and Road Initiative, from the pragmatic cooperation since the establishment of the China-Croatia comprehensive cooperative partnership to the frequent interactions in recent years in areas such as economy, trade, culture, and education, China-Croatia friendship has stood the test of time and grown even stronger. This seminar serves as an important platform for China and Croatia to work together in exploring governance modernization and sharing development experiences, while also vividly reflecting the deepening of the China-Croatia comprehensive cooperative partnership and the promotion of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
(Photo: Group photo at the launch ceremony)
Chen Wei noted that, as the world undergoes rapid and profound changes unseen in a century, China and Croatia, as important participants in China-Europe relations, are continuously expanding the breadth and depth of their cooperation through the China-Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation mechanism, contributing to the healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations. This seminar aims to establish an open, practical, and efficient exchange platform, systematically sharing China's practical experience in areas such as new urbanization, smart city development, and community-level governance, while jointly exploring topics such as urban renewal, cultural heritage protection, and regional coordinated governance. He expressed his hope that this seminar would not only serve as a transfer of knowledge but also as a bridge of friendship, planting seeds for deeper and broader cooperation between China and Croatia in the future.
(Photo: Chen Wei speaking)
Jin Zhongmin stated that the team of experts and instructors, grounded in China's reform and opening-up strategy and Shanghai's sustainable development practices, will focus on public governance and engage in in-depth discussions with participants. He emphasized that the seminar is not a one-way lecture, but rather a two-way exchange. Croatia has mature experience in areas such as local autonomy, cultural heritage protection, and sustainable tourism development, which are worth learning from and sharing. He expressed his hope that through this seminar, China and Croatia can broaden their thinking and build consensus through dialogue, truly achieving mutual learning and shared progress.
Mr. Mihael, a member of the Croatian Parliament and a representative of the participants, noted that all the participants in this seminar came to Shanghai with great enthusiasm and deep admiration for China's achievements in urban planning, smart cities, green development, and other areas. On behalf of all the participants, he expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for its thoughtful arrangements and hoped that through this seminar, they could bring Shanghai's practical experience back to Croatia while contributing to the building of an even stronger China-Croatia comprehensive cooperative partnership.
(Photo: Participant representative speaking)
The seminar will last for 14 days, with 19 participants including mayors, council chairpersons, local leaders, and members of parliament from Croatia. The seminar will also arrange for participants to conduct a field visit to Yixing City, Jiangsu Province.
Written by: Hong Xingzhi
Photograph by: Li Zheng
Reviewed by: Chen Wei
