Suzhou, Marrakech become sister cities

East China's Suzhou and the Moroccan city of Marrakech officially established sister city ties on Sept 29, local media outlets reported, making Marrakech the 58th international sister city of Suzhou.

Hailed as the "Pearl of South Morocco", Marrakech is the African country's third largest city and its southern economic and cultural center. It is well-known for its numerous historic sites and gardens.

Medina of Marrakech, the city's old town, was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

Suzhou and Marrakech both enjoy long histories and rich cultures. Since the two cities established official relations and began friendly exchanges in 2012, the two sides have developed fruitful cooperation in such fields as culture, tourism, agriculture, and health care.

The deputy mayor of Marrakech said during the signing ceremony that he was pleased to witness this historic moment and would continue to support stable and extensive exchanges and cooperation between the two cities.

Among Suzhou's 58 sister cities, 23 are at the municipality level, the most among prefecture-level cities in China.