NANJING — Three days of cultural activities concluded on May 23 in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, marking the 40th anniversary of its sister-city relationship with Italy's Florence.

The activities were originally scheduled to be held at the end of last year, on the date that Nanjing and Florence began their close ties in 1980, but were postponed until this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Nanjing municipal government.

Events such as a Sino-Italian food fair, a fashion show and a music festival were organized to enhance understanding between the Chinese and Italian peoples. Italian pop-rock band "I Tappeti Volanti" and pop singer Alessia Raisi were also invited to perform.

"Over the past 40 years, Nanjing and Florence have strengthened exchanges and cooperation, and the friendship has proved strong, especially during the fight against the pandemic," said Han Liming, Party chief of Nanjing.

"We would like to expand cooperation with Florence in fields like biomedicine, cultural heritage and high-tech, and jointly revive the cultural and tourism industry," Han added.

Italy's Ambassador to China Luca Ferrari said that the relationship between Florence and Nanjing is an important part of the friendship between Italy and China.

"Italy is a world leader in machinery, biomedicine, luxury goods, fashion, design, agri-food and other fields. We look forward to realizing more project cooperation with Chinese partners in Nanjing," said Ferrari.