Leaders from 29 cities and counties across five provinces along the Huai River gathered in Yancheng on Oct. 29 at the Fifth Mayors' Meeting for City Cooperation in the Huai River Eco-Economic Belt, where they discussed shared interests and collaborative development.  

Representatives from the Huai River Basin Ecological Environment Supervision and Management Bureau of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Planning and Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport, department heads from these 29 cities and counties, as well as leaders from major port, shipping, and logistics enterprises along the Huai River, also attended. Deputy Secretary of Yancheng Municipal Committee of the CPC and Mayor Zhang Mingkang presided over the meeting. 

In his welcome remarks, Zhang Mingkang extended warm greetings on behalf of the Yancheng Municipal Party Committee and Government and provided an overview of Yancheng. He highlighted the scenic Huai River, stretching thousands of kilometers, as a region rich in resources and unique development opportunities. Yancheng, together with its neighboring cities along the Huai River, will follow the mandates of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, working to enhance regional integration and establish new mechanisms for cross-administrative cooperation. The goal is to turn past declarations into an ongoing "cooperation agenda" with "tangible results," focusing on preserving cultural heritage, promoting ecological sustainability, and bolstering economic vitality. The meeting aimed to comprehensively deepen exchanges, advance industry transformation, foster new forms of productivity, and form cooperative partnerships in key sectors such as automotive, agriculture, and cultural tourism. This approach is intended to reshape the regional industrial ecosystem, drive technological integration, establish a collaborative network for innovation, and achieve breakthroughs across multiple domains. Additional focus areas included improving transportation connectivity and expanding ports along the Huai River to enhance multimodal transport and create seamless links between the Huai, Yangtze, and Yellow Seas. Leaders also emphasized green manufacturing, sustainable services, and renewable energy industries to build a strong ecological barrier along the Huai River, collaboratively developing a "Golden Waterway." 

The meeting released the "Yancheng Initiative for Building the Huai River Golden Waterway and Promoting High-Quality Development along the Huai River" and the "Huai River Basin Port and Shipping Collaborative Development Plan Research Report." The initiative pledges to fully implement the "Huai River Eco-Economic Belt Development Plan," promoting joint development along the Huai River Golden Waterway, advancing industrial transformation, low-carbon development, and ecological enhancement throughout the Huai River region. The report outlines a spatial framework positioning Yancheng Port as the core "Gateway to the Sea" for the Huai River Eco-Economic Belt. This framework includes the Huai River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal as primary corridors and establishes an integrated network of ports, connecting East to West and North to South, with "one core, two axes, four directions, and multiple nodes." 

During the meeting, attendees watched a video showcasing collaborative achievements within the Huai River Eco-Economic Belt and received updates on progress in inter-city cooperation, including inter-regional agreements and key collaborative initiatives. Experts from the Planning and Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport delivered a keynote speech titled "Huai River Navigation: A New Journey and a Blueprint for the Future." Leaders from the 29 member cities and counties signed multiple inter-city agreements, including the "Inter-City Agreement on Ecological and Environmental Protection in the Huai River Eco-Economic Belt," the "Inter-City Agreement on High-Quality Waterway Development in the Huai River Eco-Economic Belt," and the "Inter-City Agreement on Green and Low-Carbon Development in the Huai River Eco-Economic Belt." Several ports, logistics companies, and other entities along the Huai River also signed strategic cooperation agreements with Yancheng Port Group. Representatives from each participating city and county shared insights, and Bozhou, Anhui Province, extended an invitation to cities and counties along the Huai River to attend the Sixth Mayors' Meeting for the Huai River Eco-Economic Belt, which it will host.