A look at two Sino-Russia friendly cities: Guangzhou and Yekaterinburg

This year marks the 76 anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between China and Russia. Over the decades, dozens of cities in the two neighbouring countries have joint hands to become friendly cities, which promote not only their economic cooperation but also cultural exchanges.

Among them are Guangzhou, the capital city of south China’s Guangdong Province and Yekaterinburg, the capital of Sverdlovsk Oblast, which signed a friendly cities treaty in 2002. As two regional centers, both of them rank among the largest cities in the two countries and attract numerous visitors every year with their diverse cultures.

Located in southern Guangdong, Guangzhou was once a starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. For over a thousand years, it has been a commercial center and cultural exchange center between China and abroad. As of the end of 2024, Guangzhou rank 5th in China in terms of total economic output.

Built in 1723, Yekaterinburg was named after the Orthodox name of Catherine I, the wife of Russian Emperor Peter the Great. Located along the demarcation line between Europe and Russia, it serves as an important transportation center and bears the mission of connecting the East and the West. Yekaterinburg is now the third largest city of Russia and and a key industry, culture and education center.