Chungcheongbuk-do announced on the 22nd that it received the "Outstanding Partner Award for China-Friendly Cities" at the awards ceremony of the "2026 China International Friendship Cities Conference," hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) at the Xi'an International Conference Center.

The China International Friendship Cities Conference, established in 2008 and held biennially to support international exchanges and strengthen international cooperation projects among Chinese cities, marked its 8th edition this year. The event brought together approximately 700 delegates from about 140 cities across more than 60 countries, featuring a variety of programs including forums on friendly city cooperation and the Outstanding Partner Award ceremony.

At the awards ceremony, a total of 40 regions from 24 countries received the Outstanding Partner Award. Domestically, Chungcheongbuk-do was joined by Chungcheongnam-do, Gangwon-do, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province as recipients. In particular, Chungbuk received high praise for maintaining active exchanges with Hubei Province, China, over the past 12 years.

Since establishing a sister-hood relationship in 2014, Chungcheongbuk-do and Hubei Province have dispatched Chungbuk delegations, held economic cooperation seminars, and hosted friendly exchange meetings. Notably, in August of this year, they conducted youth sports exchanges in Jincheon, maintaining a close cooperative relationship across diverse fields such as economy, sports, and youth.

Lee Dong-ok, Vice Governor for Administration and head of the visiting provincial delegation, stated, "This award is a symbol of the deep trust and friendship that Chungbuk and Hubei Province have built together over the past 12 years. Moving forward, we will further strengthen mutual cooperation in areas of sustainable development between the two regions."

Meanwhile, following the conference events, the provincial delegation held a meeting with Chungbuk business representatives in Xi'an to discuss various ways to strengthen cooperation with Chinese local governments, including corporate expansion into the Chinese market.

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