The 9th United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) Congress opened in Yiwu, Zhejiang province on Nov 13 and will run until Nov 15.

The conference, which is themed "Advancing Balanced Economic Development for Asia and the Pacific", includes a main forum, five sub-forums, and a range of economic, trade, and cultural activities.

The five sub-forums will revolve around industrial upgrading, trade promotion, youth entrepreneurship, child-friendly resources, and rural vitalization, and the activities will feature products exhibitions, trade negotiation, and city promotion.

Wu Dan, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Yiwu People's Government, noted that Yiwu will take advantage of the conference to strengthen cooperation with 37 cities in 23 countries in the region, hold a series of international events, and establish a logistics committee to advance connections among Asia and Pacific countries.

The conference invited nearly 500 representatives from 36 countries and regions, including cities, international organizations, embassies and consulates, as well as business associations.