KUNMING, Nov. 19 -- China now has 3,054 international friendship city relationships, according to the China International Friendship Cities Conference, which concluded Tuesday in Yunnan Province, southwest China.

At a signing ceremony during the event, eight new partnerships were announced. These include two with the Republic of Korea and one each with Mongolia, Chile, Greece, Cambodia, Laos and Nepal.

China formed its first international friendship city partnership in 1973. Since then, 31 Chinese provincial-level regions and 543 cities have developed such relationships with 602 provinces/states and 1,871 cities in 147 countries, creating a broad global collaboration network.

During the two-day conference, 16 cooperation agreements were signed, covering areas such as cultural exchange and economic cooperation. The conference also issued the Kunming Initiative, calling on friendship cities and local governments of all countries to further strengthen solidarity and mutual assistance and deepen exchanges and cooperation.

Themed "Common Prosperity, Shared Future," the conference attracted over 700 representatives from 41 countries.