Changwon Special City Discusses Expanding Multifaceted Exchanges with Ma'anshan, China

Beyond 31 Years of Friendship Fostered Through the "Li Bai Poetry Festival"
Pledging to Deepen Economic Cooperation

Changwon Special City in South Gyeongsang Province announced that, at the invitation of Ma'anshan City in Anhui Province, China-a sister city in international friendship-it attended the 'Li Bai Poetry Festival' from October 31 to November 3 for four days and three nights. The visit provided an opportunity to deepen mutual cultural understanding and open a new chapter in economic cooperation.

Changwon Special City and Maanshan City, China, Cooperate on Economic Partnership.

This visit was an extension of the friendly exchanges maintained over 31 years since the establishment of the international sister city relationship in 1994. The delegation was led by Park Jin-yeol, Director General for Economy and Jobs, and included city officials, three calligraphers, and representatives from companies such as Shinhwa Steel, Rashvan Korea, and Seongsan Global.

During the visit, the delegation met with Guo Junfeng, Deputy Secretary General of the Ma'anshan Municipal People's Government, to discuss ways to expand multifaceted exchanges between the two cities, including in the cultural and economic spheres.

At the subsequent economic cooperation meeting, representatives from Shinhwa Steel, Rashvan Korea, and Seongsan Global held in-depth discussions with officials from the Ma'anshan Bureau of Commerce, the Trade Promotion Committee, the Investment Promotion Center, the Federation of Industry and Commerce, and local companies. The meeting lasted about four hours without breaks and focused on concrete measures to become practical economic cooperation partners.

Shinhwa Steel, a steel distribution specialist based in Changwon, explored potential cooperation with Maanshan Iron & Steel Group, the leading steel company in Ma'anshan, and visited local businesses.

Rashvan Korea, a functional men's underwear company already operating a factory in China, proposed joint investment and the establishment of a branch in Ma'anshan. The company toured the local factory of Snowstar Knitting Co., Ltd., and agreed to proceed with further practical discussions.

Seongsan Global, a food service company, suggested finding a local partner to integrate K-food with Ma'anshan's local culture. In response, Ma'anshan City directly identified a suitable partner, arranged a local meeting, and plans to discuss further collaboration, including visits to Korea.

Additionally, at the meeting, Changwon City officially proposed the establishment of a 'Changwon Global Business Center' to provide close support for Changwon companies seeking to enter the Ma'anshan market, such as market research and buyer discovery. The Ma'anshan side agreed to actively recommend the business center after reviewing operational examples.

Both cities agreed on the need to regularize exchanges between chambers of commerce and economic organizations. They also recognized that cultural exchanges, including youth exchanges, are an important component of their friendship, and plan to form a working group to promote these initiatives.

Park Jin-yeol, Director General for Economy and Jobs, stated, "Following our long-standing cultural exchanges, which have yielded significant achievements in the arts, this visit has also brought meaningful results in the economic field. Going forward, we will further strengthen exchanges and cooperation so that both cities can grow together as partners not only in culture but also in global economic cooperation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.