​Xi'an and Durban to develop friendship city relations

Xi'an and Durban, South Africa, recently signed a letter of intent to develop friendship city relations, aiming to consolidate cooperation and enhance understanding between the people of China and South Africa.

Founded in 1854, Durban is South Africa's third largest city, located on the eastern coast, adjacent to the Indian Ocean. A beautiful coastal city with abundant tourism resources, Durban is also home to Africa's busiest port, the Port of Durban, which handles 65 percent of South Africa's container throughput and offers excellent logistical facilities.

Durban is also an important venue, having hosted international events such as the 5th BRICS Summit in 2013, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the 2023 World Table Tennis Championships.

The city covers an area of 2,555 square kilometers, has a population of nearly 3.9 million, and has been honored the title of "Africa's Best Managed City".

Since 2019, Xi'an and Durban have enjoyed a robust partnership characterized by frequent exchanges and fruitful cooperation. According to the letter of intent, the two cities will facilitate regular personnel and information exchanges and promote collaboration across trade, economy, culture, tourism, education, and talent. The agreement also lays the groundwork to formally establish friendship city relations once conditions are met.