France and Italy join 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue in Ningbo

Officials from 15 countries met in Ningbo, China, from Nov. 2 to 5 for the 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue, where cities signed 14 cooperation projects and released a new development consensus. The gathering put trade, technology, education and cultural ties at the center of a push for more open city-to-city collaboration.

Why it matters: - The Ningbo meeting brought together city leaders and international organizations to push practical cooperation across trade, technology, education and culture. - The dialogue produced 14 signed projects and a new consensus aimed at keeping industrial and supply chains open and stable. - The participation of officials from France, Italy, New Zealand, Egypt, Morocco, North Macedonia and Austria shows the event's global reach.

What happened: - The 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue · Ningbo ran in Zhejiang province from Nov. 2 to 5, 2026. - Joachim Moyse, mayor of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray and vice president of Métropole Rouen Normandie, attended along with Enrico Ricci, representative of the mayor of Florence and president of the Economic Development Commission of the city council. - Other attendees included Wayne Brown, mayor of Auckland; Ahmed Wazeery, secretary-general of Suez Governorate; Hosam Alkaweesh, assistant minister of local development and environment of Egypt; Said Karimi, mayor of Errachidia; Aleksandar Kitanski, mayor of Pehčevo; and Sebastian Kovacs, representative of the Wiener Neustadt city government. - Liu Meng, head of the China Office of the United Nations Global Compact, and Zhou Qiangwu, former vice president and chief administrative officer of the New Development Bank, were among the representatives from international organizations.

The details: - The program centered on the theme "Openness and Connectivity for Shared Opportunities." - The agenda included one main mayoral dialogue, two scenario dialogues and three cultural exchange activities. - Delegates visited Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, the world's largest port by cargo throughput, along with Ningbo Yaji Logistics, Ningbo PIA Automation Holding, Peacebird Group, Dongqian Lake and the Old Bund. - At Ningbo PIA Automation, visitors toured workshops where embodied robots are produced. - The main session produced 14 cooperation projects covering friendly exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, science and technology, education, and cultural tourism. - Yuyao in Zhejiang and Errachidia in Morocco established friendly exchange relations. - Yinzhou District of Ningbo and Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray in France also established friendly exchange relations. - Organizers released the Ningbo Consensus on Cooperative Development. - The consensus calls on cities to stay open and connected, deepen industrial collaboration, strengthen people-to-people ties, and work together to keep industrial and supply chains stable and flowing. - The event also included a seven-section exhibition titled "Ningbo and the World" on local companies taking Ningbo culture overseas. - During the Night of Ningbo, classic books selected by Ningbo and visiting cities were added to the collection of Tianyi Pavilion, built in 1561 and the oldest private library still standing in China.

Between the lines: - The itinerary mixed policy talks with site visits to ports, factories and cultural landmarks, signaling that Ningbo is positioning openness as both an economic strategy and a civic identity. - The focus on embodied robots, logistics and port infrastructure suggests Ningbo is using advanced manufacturing and trade assets to make the case for global partnership. - Joachim Moyse framed the meeting as a space for peace-building, linking municipal cooperation to broader geopolitical stability. - His remarks also pointed to interest in Ningbo's people-centered urban planning and social inclusion approach.

What's next: - The signed projects and newly established city ties are expected to drive follow-on exchanges in trade, technology, education and tourism. - The Ningbo Consensus gives participating cities a shared framework for future cooperation on supply-chain resilience and cross-border collaboration. - Ningbo is likely to keep using the dialogue and its cultural programming to expand its international municipal network.