Climate Issues and Sustainable Urban Development
In 2013, both cities signed a climate partnership agreement under the title ‘Bonn-Chengdu Partnership for Sustainable Low-Carbon Development’. Senior experts from the city administration, civil society, the business and scientific community now discuss mobility, sustainable urban development and energy efficiency and related issues during technical conferences and meetings.
Business and Science/Scholarships
The partnership is also actively promoted in the fields of science and business. In recent years, numerous business delegations have travelled from Bonn to Chengdu or from Chengdu to Bonn for information and exploratory talks. Among other things, the delegation trips served to promote the planned expansion of Deutsche Post/DHL's involvement in the field of logistics services in China or the establishment of cooperation in the field of e-mobility.
Since 2014, students from Bonn have the option of signing up for a scholarship program to study abroad in the City of Chengdu.
Cultural Exchange/School Twinning
Close contacts have been established in this field. Bonn’s Beethoven Orchestra has toured China, greatly inspiring the audience abroad. Furthermore, young musicians are invited to perform during the annual Youth Music Festival hosted in the City of Chengdu. Since 2016, the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Bonn has integrated a ‘Chengdu Special’ into its annual Stadtgarten concert series. The work is supported by the Bonn-based Society for China Studies (Bonner Gesellschaft für China-Studien e.V.).
Exchange between citizens, especially young people, is important for the active continuation of a partnership. Therefore, a school partnership between the Integrated Comprehensive School Bonn-Beuel (IGS) and the Shude High School has been in place for many years. Other schools in Bonn have expressed their interest to establish this form of school twinning.