The Maritime Silk Road China Influential City Annual List (2024) was released at the Exchange Conference.

On November 30, Xinhua Indices Institute released The 2024 report on the comprehensive influence index of China’s Maritime Silk Road cities at the 2024 Mayors Exchange Conference on Maritime Silk Road City Influence. The index dynamically assesses the development and construction level of cities along the Maritime Silk Road, providing data support for high-quality urban development and the enhancement of cultural soft power.

This year marks the commencement of the second decade of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), put forward by president Xi Jinping, with the concepts of pursuing development, fostering growth, and achieving common prosperity deeply ingrained. Cities, as important vehicles for nations to engage in international division of labor, cooperation, and global resource allocation, serve as key actors in building the Belt and Road, exerting a radiating and driving influence that expands from individual hubs to interconnected regions.

To achieve high-quality development of cities along the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, Xinhua Index Research Institute, based on its previous research findings and incorporating elements such as urban development dynamics, the inheritance of the Maritime Silk Road spirit, and technological innovation, has conducted a systematic assessment of 37 representative cities. The assessment covers five dimensions: accessibility of infrastructure, close business exchanges, vigorous cultural exchanges, active image communication, and continuous urban development, which were used to evaluate the connectivity efficiency, the vibrancy of economic cooperation, and the shaping of international images of these cities.

As a significant commercial city, regional hub, and key node along the Maritime Silk Road on China’s southeast coast, Wenzhou’s urban development and strengths have garnered considerable attention. According to the index model’s calculations, Wenzhou’s foreign trade has maintained a steady growth in both quality and quantity. By leveraging the unique resource advantage of the “World Wenzhouese,” it continues to deepen the integration and interaction of domestic and international resources, actively shaping its international city image, and contributing to the high-quality construction of BRI.

Cao Zhanzhong, head of Xinhua Indices Institute, stated that Wenzhou is one of the most representative cities along the Maritime Silk Road. By establishing the Shuomen Ancient Port site as a cultural icon, Wenzhou has revitalized its cultural vibrancy of “Millennium-old Trade Port.” Brimming with youthful and fashionable vitality, the city looks forward to leveraging more facets to carve out its unique development path, thereby fostering high-quality and coordinated development within the Silk Road Economic Belt.

During the event, Wenzhou was successfully listed in the Maritime Silk Road China Influential City Annual List (2024), featuring its key influence phrase, empowering urban development through the World Young Scientist Summit.