The press conference on the China-ASEAN Mayors' Forum 2019 is held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Aug 21. [Photo by Li Liang/gxnews.com.cn]

According to its organizing committee, this year's China-ASEAN Mayors' Forum will be held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region from Sept 17 to 19, with about 300 guests from home and abroad expected to discuss the sustainable development of cities. 

Themed around promoting the sustainable urban development of China-ASEAN cities, the forum will set up three sub-topics in connectivity, business cooperation, and improved livelihoods. It aims to build a platform for exchanges, cooperation, and innovation between China and ASEAN cities, as well as to serve the Belt and Road Initiative.

The forum will focus on the construction of the western Land-Sea Trade Corridor, the establishment of a cooperation platform with the business communities, the improvement of people's livelihood, and other current pertinent topics. A series of events will be carried out, including 10 keynote speeches, three sub-topic speeches, and three interview dialogues, providing valuable experiences for guests from all countries, enhancing regional connectivity, as well as establishing closer partnerships.

The 2019 China-ASEAN Mayor Forum is hosted by the China Mayors Association, the Guangxi Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the Nanning municipal people's government. The China-ASEAN Mayor Forum has been successfully held four times since 2005 and the participating mayors are located in nearly 200 cities in more than 20 Chinese provinces and municipalities, as well as nine ASEAN countries.

To date, about 50 cities in eight ASEAN countries and cities in 20 Chinese provinces have indicated their participation. It is expected that the total number of ASEAN and domestic cities participating in this forum will reach 100.