Wen Guohui, mayor of Guangzhou, met with Belgian Ambassador to China Jan Hoogmartens on March 15 in Guangzhou.

Wen said that the relationship between Guangzhou and Belgian cities has been improving since China and Belgium established diplomatic relations in 1971 - and since Guangzhou Port and Belgium's Port of Antwerp forged a friendly cooperation relationship.

Guangzhou will further implement China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) to push forward construction of infrastructure such as airports, ports and exhibition venues, as well as to make breakthroughs in areas spanning garbage classification and smart city development.

Wen expressed his hope that more communication and cooperation between Guangzhou and Belgian cities can be carried out in areas such as commerce, trade, technology and urban management in order to realize mutual development.

Hoogmartens noted that Guangzhou, with its pleasant climate and splendid environment, has achieved remarkable progress in terms of its growth. He said that Belgium is willing to learn more about China's 14th Five-Year Plan and the cooperation opportunities that may arise from constructing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Hoogmartens added that Belgium is looking forward to deepening exchanges and cooperation with Guangzhou in sectors including shipping logistics, biomedicine and environmental technology.