Xi'an establishes sister city ties with Kazakhstan's Shymkent

Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, recently established sister city relations with Shymkent, a city in Kazakhstan, bringing the number of Xi'an's sister cities to a total of 40.

It is also the fourth sister city that Xi'an has established ties with in the five Central Asian countries.

An aerial view of Shymkent, a city in Kazakhstan. [Photo/Xi'an news network]

Xi'an is a famous historical and cultural city and the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. Shymkent is the third largest city in Kazakhstan, an ancient city in Central Asia, and an important city on the Silk Road.

The two sides have many similarities and complementarities, and they have broad prospects for cooperation in industry, culture, tourism, and education.

Since 2018, the two sides have increased friendly exchanges with the help of communication platforms, such as the Xi'an sister city exposition at the Sixth Silk Road International Exposition and the education and youth exchange sub-forum at the China-Central Asia people-to-people friendship forum.

Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the two cities supported, helped, and encouraged each other, demonstrating their profound friendship.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. The two cities will take the opportunity of the establishment of a sister-city relationship to strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, further promote the deepening of bilateral relations, and create a new situation of win-win cooperation.