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Nice strengthens its ties with the district of Dongtou (China)

The Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis continues to boost its international attractiveness by welcoming a delegation from the district of Dongtou, a subdivision of the city of Wenzhou in the Zhejiang region, China.

Both territories share commonalities such as being located by the sea and benefiting from the immediate proximity of mountainous reliefs.

Dongtou and the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis also share the desire to preserve their traditions while being open to international exchanges.

This meeting is part of a bilateral cooperation dynamic aimed at promoting beneficial international economic and cultural exchanges for the territories.

A high-level delegation

The district of Dongtou, with its more than 150,000 inhabitants, is part of a larger region that includes the city of Wenzhou, with a population of over 9 million, and the Zhejiang region, which has 57 million inhabitants.

Led by the mayor of Dongtou, the Chinese delegation was received by the International and Mediterranean Relations Department of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis.

This visit, which took place on June 19, 2024, marks an important step in the relations between the two territories.

Promising economic and cultural exchanges

The Chinese delegation participated in the 55th economic morning of the Maison de la Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur and the Sud Region. The representatives of the Dongtou delegation exchanged with their French counterparts on several collaboration projects.

The tourist and economic dynamism of Nice is attracting more and more international metropolises, as evidenced by the willingness to collaborate around three main projects:

Tourism: The tourism offices of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis and Dongtou are considering mutual promotion campaigns to boost tourist flows between the two cities.
Culture: Projects aimed at enhancing art professions, particularly mother-of-pearl work, were discussed. Exhibitions and conferences should enable Dongtou to present this traditional technique in Nice, in partnership with local art schools.
Infrastructure and environment: Aware of the issues related to climate change, Nice and Dongtou discussed common projects in the field of blue economy and urban greening. These initiatives aim to adapt urban infrastructure to contemporary environmental challenges.

A long-term cooperation

This cooperation is part of a broader strategy of the City of Nice, which has already established relations with other Chinese local authorities such as Xiamen and Hangzhou.

As part of these exchanges, a technical visit to Dongtou was proposed before the end of the year, aiming to deepen discussions and materialize the projects mentioned.

This cooperation between Nice and Dongtou illustrates the commitment of the Nice metropolis to strengthen its international openness and engage in strategic partnerships.

Through these initiatives, Nice strengthens its position on the global stage and prepares to face tomorrow’s challenges in collaboration with its international partners.