The city of Wuxi, Jiangsu province, launched the 2026 Wuxi International Month and International Cherry Blossom Festival on Wednesday, inviting global participants to explore cooperation opportunities and strengthen international ties.

The event, themed "Cultivating Platforms, Stimulating Consumption, and Enhancing Friendships", features more than 30 activities.

It will host guests from nearly 40 countries and regions, including consulate officials from 11 countries such as France and Chile, as well as representatives from seven sister and friendly exchange cities in six countries, including New Zealand.

More than 90 companies and over 30 international business associations from regions including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the European Union as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are attending to explore new avenues for cooperation.

Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said the event has become an important platform for building consensus and promoting mutual benefit, as well as a bridge for deepening exchanges and enhancing friendships.

He said he hopes the event will further strengthen ties with international partners, generate more collaboration and deliver tangible results.

Wuxi Mayor Jiang Feng highlighted the city's strong industrial ecosystem, innovation vitality, cultural appeal and natural environment. He said Wuxi aims to build a more inclusive platform, improve its business environment and deepen cultural exchanges to expand cooperation and attract investment.

Joan Valadou, consul general of France in Shanghai, said Wuxi has become a model for multi-sector cooperation in China-France relations. He welcomed more Wuxi enterprises to invest in France and encouraged greater student exchanges to promote practical cooperation across various fields.

Wuxi has steadily expanded its international network, establishing 51 sister-city partnerships.

Last year's International Month attracted more than 36,000 participants and involved over 600 companies, facilitating hundreds of cooperation projects in industry, technology, talent and trade with partners across Europe, the Americas, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.

Sun Wei, deputy mayor of Wuxi, described the city as a strong industrial base, an open economic hub, a well-connected transportation center and a highly livable city. He noted that Wuxi has been rated China's most livable city and one of the top 10 cities most satisfactory to foreign investors.

"Wuxi will support enterprises' innovative development with the best policies, complete industrial chains, high-quality services and a favorable urban environment,"Sun said.

Thomas Beauduin, vice-president of Vandewiele Group and CEO of Vandewiele China, said at an international industry conference in Wuxi's Xishan district on Wednesday that the company's growth reflects both China's sustained economic expansion and stable business environment in Wuxi.

Founded in 1880, the Belgian technology company specializes in textile machinery and has grown into a global enterprise with more than 4,000 employees and products sold under more than 20 brands. It is also the controlling shareholder of Barco, a publicly listed company and a global leader in imaging technology.

Vandewiele established subsidiaries in China in 1996 and now employs more than 1,400 people in the country, with annual sales exceeding 1 billion yuan ($145 million).

"Our success in China is a direct result of the conditions provided by the Wuxi government," Beauduin said, adding that the company will continue to achieve steady annual growth, develop new technologies and contribute to China's leadership in the global textile industry.

In 2025, Wuxi's total import and export value exceeded 800 billion yuan. The city maintains economic and trade ties with 225 countries and regions, and 118 Fortune 500 companies have invested there.