CHENGDU -- Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China, has three new friendly cooperative cities — Manchester, UK; the Hungarian city of Dunakeszi; and the Nepalese city of Bhimeshwor, according to the "2025 Chengdu International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Forum" on Wednesday.

With the new additions, Chengdu has 244 friendship cities.

"Manchester is a city that values innovation, a trait that is reflected in the productive exchange and cooperation between our city and Chengdu," said Councillor Garry Bridges, deputy leader of Manchester Council. He noted that the two cities would deepen cooperation in three key areas: cultural and artistic exchanges, government collaboration mechanisms, and business and investment promotion.

As a key hub for foreign exchange in western China, Chengdu's "international network" has grown steadily since it established a friendship city relationship with the city of Montpellier, France, in 1981.

The city's openness has also been on the rise. Currently, Chengdu is home to more than 5,000 foreign-invested companies, and in 2024, the city attracted about 1.67 billion US dollars in foreign direct investment.

At the opening ceremony of the forum, the "2025 Chengdu International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Forum — Initiative on Friendly Cooperation" was announced, and 12 new cooperation agreements were signed.

These agreements cover various categories, including new friendship city relationships, business cooperation, education, finance, healthcare, ecological civilization, legal services, logistics cooperation, and national-level industrial parks.

The forum, held under the theme "Working Together to Promote Win-Win Cooperation," attracted 39 delegations from 29 countries.