High-Level Opening Ceremony - World Cities Day 2026 (31 October - 2 November 2026, Fuzhou, China)

The opening ceremony of the Global Observance of World Cities Day 2026 and the awarding ceremony of the fourth cycle of the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, Jianghai Award, now begins. Together, we have with us Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Mr. He Lifeng, and we have Mr. Xu Shoubin, Deputy Secretary General, and we have Mr. Ni Hong, Minister of the Ministry of Housing and Rural and Urban Affairs. And we have Ms. Ana Claudia Rosbach, United Nations on the Secretary General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat. And we have Mr. Nakroming, President of the UN-Habitat Assembly and Minister of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia; and Mr. Mohamad Juanda, Minister of Development of Brunei; and we have Mr. Leannai Sivilay, Minister of Public Works and Transport of Laos; And Mr. Mojtaba Yousefi, member of the Parliament of Iran. And we have Mr. Davdorj Gombol, former First Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia. And Ms. Maimunah Mohd Shariff, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the former Executive Director of UN-Habitat; and Mr. Stephen Jackson, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China; and Zhao Long, Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee; Guo Ningning, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of the Fujian Provincial People's Government; Teng Jia, Chairwoman of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, and also Standing Committee Member, and also Party Secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee. Also with us, Our representative from the various ministries, CCTV, CMG, and also the CPPCC at various levels, and also from sister provinces like Sichuan, Guizhou, Qinghai, Ningxia, and also representative of Fuzhou City, and government officials from various levels from China and abroad, experts and scholars, business leaders, and representatives of international organizations. Once again, let's give a warm round of applause to express our sincere welcome and heartfelt thanks to all the officials and guests. Now we will have a video presentation for today's event.

Every city begins with a promise: a place to.

Live, a chance to work, a community in which to belong. Yet, for millions of people, finding an adequate home remains one of the greatest urban challenges of our time. As cities grow, housing becomes increasingly unaffordable, informal settlements expand, Essential services struggle to keep pace, and too many people are left without the security and dignity every home should provide. But cities can change. Regenerating the city means rethinking how we plan, build, and invest. It means creating housing that is affordable, safe, accessible, and connected to the services people need.

The world is not an isolated place anymore. We all are connected, everyone has issues, and every country and nation, every space have problems and solutions. Now it's time how we are housing the problems and solutions together, clubbing them, and making the best out of it.

We've actually been offering comprehensive support to communities. We've been rebuilding the homes for families, including children and youth that have been totally destroyed. We've been offering support in the areas of welfare and supplies of needed items. We've been providing educational opportunities and activities for children and youth who've been displaced from their schools.

It means expanding the space that exists for thinking through issues and being able to solve them together, together as a government, a whole of government approach, but bringing in other stakeholders as well.

It means upgrading existing neighborhoods, investing in sustainable infrastructure, and ensuring that no community is left behind. And above all, it means putting people at the centre of urban transformation. Because a home is more than four walls, the future of our cities must be measured not only by the buildings we construct, but by the lives we improve. Regenerating the city starts with ensuring that everyone has a place to call home.

City is the crystallization of human civilization, the home of people's lives. Xi Jinping Chairman extends congratulations to the 2022 World City Day Global Host City. 倡议各国城市共同推动全球可持续发展。中国坚定落实联合国新城市议程，秉持人民城市人民建、人民城市为人民理念，为世界提供了城市可持续发展中国方案。 Fuzhou, the first Global Sustainable Development City Award, Shanghai Award-winning city, is a vivid embodiment of continuous urban renewal, empowerment, and sustainable living.

Let's give the floor to our moderator, Mr. Ni Hong, as the moderator of the opening ceremony.

Honorable Vice Premier He Lifeng, Executive Director Ros Buck, President Nakomeng, distinguished Secretary Zhao Long, distinguished officials, guests, ladies and gentlemen, friends, good afternoon. Today, we gather in Fuzhou, a city blessed with good fortune. to open the Global Observance of the World Cities Day 2026 and the awarding ceremony of the fourth cycle of the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, Shanghai Award. First of all, on behalf of the co-organizers, the UN-Habitat, the Ministry of Housing, Urban and Rural Development of the PRC, and Fujian Provincial People's Government, I would like to extend our warmest welcome to all the guests and a warm congratulations on Fuzhou City. The Global Observance of World Cities Day And the World Cities Day is the first United Nations International Day dedicated to cities. While the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, Shanghai Award, recognizes outstanding cities worldwide that have made notable progress in sustainable development. Thanks to the efforts of all parties, the international influence of World Cities Day and the Shanghai Award has kept growing. They have become an important platform for implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda, and for advancing international exchange and cooperation on cities. This year marks the 15th anniversary, actually the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping. and also the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the New Urban Agenda by the United Nations, themed "Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All." It calls on all countries to address global challenges, to empower sustainable urban development through regeneration and build a better home for humanity. Now, I would like to give the floor to Mr. Zhao Long, Secretary of CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, to deliver his welcome address.

Honorable Vice Premier He Lifeng, Under-Secretary-General Roz Park, and Minister Ni Hong, ladies and gentlemen, friends, distinguished guests, good afternoon. It's my great pleasure to meet you all in this golden autumn season in Fujian Province and Fuzhou City, a place of blessing. for this great event. First, on behalf of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and the Fujian Provincial People's Government, I would like to congratulate on the successful opening of the event, our warmest welcome to all the guests, and our sincere gratitude to all the friends who have long supported the high-quality social-economic development of Fujian Province. Welcome and thank you. President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to urban development issues. During his time of office in Fujian Province, he has been committed to the important livability and housing projects to improve the urban appearance and improve urban services and people's livelihood. And in the Cangxia community, urban renewal projects He has said that, “Please forward a message to the general public that the government will never let you down.” It has touched numerous souls. And he has pointed out the way and created great spiritual and practical wealth for our work.

Vice Premier He Lifeng, who attended today's conference, and while his tenure here in Fujian Province, is an advocate and practitioner of this very concept. And since the 18th CPC Congress, the President Xi Jinping has made a series of important instructions on urban development, and he stressed several times that the city is built by the people and for the people, and so this has laid a solid and fundamental principle for our urban development. That today's meeting is themed in regenerating the city, adequate housing for all, building a platform for dialogue and communication, and explore the path of cooperation as well as exploring sustainable urban development paths, and I believe this will Inject vitality to our corporation. The Fujian is a province with mountains and also adjacent to the sea. It is a province of over 2,200 years of history. And in recent years, we have kept in mind President Xi Jinping's instructions and made solid efforts to promote high-quality urban development. Our urbanization rate of the permanent population in this province has reached 72.6 percent. And now the city is better supported by modernized industry, and the city of Fuzhou and Quanzhou has exceeded the trillion level, trillion yuan level. Our cities are more livable and with improved settlements as well as public service systems. There are over 10,000 housing as well as settlements that were revitalized and renovated. Our cities is more beautiful with forest coverage exceeding 65 percent. And for 47 consecutives in a row, we ran number one in terms of green coverage, and also the quality of our ecological environment, such as water and air, remain as the leaders in the country. And also we are combining cultural heritage with modernized development, and our city is more resilient in terms of an enhanced public safety and security, emergency response capacity, and disaster relief and reduction system. And our city is more civilized, and there are eight prefecture-level cities rated as national model cities, and we're seeing a trend in rising morality and kindness in our people's heart. So our city is smarter, it's more digital, and our urban development is better supported by our governance, and also the livelihood of our people is improved. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, city is the home and core of a happy life. And so on this brand new journey, we are willing to work with UN-Habitat and all the cities in the world to distill and instill the concept of better city, better life, and so our cities could be more prosperous and more inclusive and sustainable. And we will put people at the very core of our strategy and also answer and meet the needs of our people that seeking a better life and to provide them with better services while enhancing the foundation, and so that the results of urban development can actually benefit our people, and we will stick to a more inclusive development and build an innovative, beautiful, civilized, as well as a resilient and smart development. At the same time, we focus on both quality and quantity and speed, and so we could regenerate our city, and also we will be open and inclusive and Using platforms such as World Cities Day and Friendship Cities, we want to promote the exchanges and communications between cities and between peoples, so that we could be in the same alignment as well as in the same speed in terms of urban development. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, since the very ancient China's development, that is the wisdom of our craftsmen in developing cities and to a more modern definition of urban functions, and now to the concept of cities are built by people and for people, we are seeing the wisdom of livable city be distilled and channeled through centuries. And hopefully, we could reach the consensus of building a city and also a sustainable development city, and we could learn from each other and draw experience from each other and making sure that our cooperation is tangible and practical. And I hope you enjoy your stay in the City of Blessings, and also to enjoy our culture of blessings, that is, in Chinese language, it is the culture of Fu and feel the vitality of this city, as well as the modernization and the benefits of modernization that brought by our development. Finally, I wish our event a complete success and wish you a life full of blessings. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Zhao Long, CPC Fujian Provincial Committee Secretary. And next, I would like to give you Mr. Ng Kok Meng, President of UN-Habitat Assembly and Minister of Housing and Local Government in Malaysia.

Your Honorable Vice Premier He Lifeng and Minister Ni Hong, and Ms. Rosbach, Under-Secretary-General of UN, Executive Director. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is such a pleasure to be here in the city of Fuzhou, the city of Fu, that is, the city of blessings.

Observance of World City Days 2026 and awards ceremony of the fourth cycle of the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, or we call Shanghai Award. As open October come to a close, A month dedicated to reflection on our shared urban future, I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China, Fujian Provincial People's Government, UN-Habitat, and Fuzhou Municipal People's Government for bringing all of us together. Four decades after the United Nations first declared that shelter is my right, We convened under a theme of profile, urgency and opportunity, regenerating the city, adequate housing for all. Standing here as President of the UN Habitat Assembly, I humbly invite each of us to reflect upon a fundamental truth. Cities are not merely networks of concrete, glass and digital infrastructure. They are the living habitats of human hope. At the end of every demanding day, regardless of culture, nationality or social standing, every individual seeks the same fundamental destination: a place of safety to rest, to recover, and feel whole that is a place all of us call home. Housing is the foundation on which all human capability grows. It is where our children form their earliest ambitions, where working parents recharge their spirit, and where our senior citizens enjoy the honour they have earned over a lifetime. When a household enjoys a secure roof, every aspect of life stabilises. Your health improves, educational outcomes soar, and economic confidence takes root. But when housing is precarious, fragile or unaffordable, the very fabric of social stability begins to unravel. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, as President of the UN-Habitat Assembly, I must lay bare the stark reality of our time now. Today, around the globe, 3.4 billion people experience some form of housing inadequacy. Over 1.16 billion people live in informal settlements and slums, while 44% of urban renters worldwide spend an unsustainable portion of their income on rent. We are witnessing an unprecedented urban crisis characterised by rising housing costs, ageing infrastructures, escalating climate risks, and widening social inequalities. Rapid urbanisation continues to exert massive pressure on land and basic public services. Yet, the housing challenge is not simply about producing more housing units on the urban periphery. It is about improving access to adequate housing that is safe, affordable, well-connected to jobs and public transport, climate-resilient, and backed by secure tenure. Housing cannot be treated as a standalone market commodity. It must be the catalyst for broader urban transformation. This is where urban regeneration provides our greatest breakthrough. Instead of relying solely on horizontal urban sprawl that destroys natural ecosystems, regeneration enables us to upgrade existing neighborhoods Revitalise underutilised land, modernise ageing infrastructure, and breathe new life into our communities. The great philosopher Confucius taught us, 治善生舒，童子曰安居乐也。That means, only when people live in peace and security, can they truly thrive and enjoy their work. Adequate and affordable housing, therefore, underpins every fundamental aspect of sustainable development. It directly shapes health outcomes, educational attainment, economic productivity, and climate resilience. Therefore, investing in housing is at its core, investing in human capability and inner peace itself. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Urban renewal must never be reduced to a gentrification process that replaces the vulnerable. A true urban transformation must be unreservedly people-centred. Communities must actively participate in shaping the future of their own neighborhoods. No one, no family, no child, no elder should be left behind in this process. The great philosopher, Mengzi, wisely stated, "The people are of supreme importance. The states and institutions exist to serve none other than the people." Ladies and gentlemen, in Malaysia, these values are actively translated into our Malaysia Madani vision. of a comprehensive housing reform agenda and a new national housing policy. We are trying to demonstrate that target-driven national policies can deliver tangible results, from breaking financial barriers to the National Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme for unrecorded income earners, to advancing transit-oriented developments and climate-resilient urban renewal. We have learnt that a city’s true worth is not measured by the scale of its construction, of the height of its skyline, but by the liveability of its neighborhoods, the vibrancy of its public spaces, and the genuine opportunities created for its people. Drawing from this experience, and to guide our global strategy in regenerating cities for all, we must commit to four fundamental principles. First, housing must grow with the cost of human life. Homes and neighborhoods must adapt across generations, from early childhood to elderly care, keeping families rooted in their communities. Second, urban regeneration must drive climate action. Reusing existing built environment reduces land consumption and carbon footprints. Upgrading buildings with energy-efficient technologies, expanding green spaces, and fostering compact cities are essential climate solutions. Third, national and local government must act in tandem. Municipal leadership is where policy meets reality. Local leaders require strong backing from national government through enabling legislation, sustainable financing mechanisms, and institutional support. Last but not least, fourth, we must mobilise multi-stakeholder partnership. Governments alone cannot solve the crisis. We need private sector, development banks, academia, grassroots organisations all work as a team to scale up innovative models. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, policy without execution is merely good intention. Vision without action is merely dreams. A conference declaration cannot shelter a child from a storm. A strategic framework cannot heatproof a home while it remains inked upon paper. Our solemn duty today as international leaders is to take commitment off drafting tables and translate them into physical keys placed safely into a family’s hand. In the classic text, the Book of Rites, Lun Yu, there is an enduring vision of the ideal society.

So that the young are nurtured to grow, the elderly are cared for to the end, and the vulnerable, widowed, and disabled all have a place to refuge and support.

Able or have a place of refuge and support. This ancient vision matches our modern Global mandate under the Sustainable Development Goal SDG 11 and New Urban Agenda. Let us move beyond rhetoric towards accelerated concrete action, hand in hand. As President of the UN Habitat Assembly, I humbly urge all participating nations, local governments, and global partners, let us step forward with bold commitment, resources, and speed. Let us carry forward the vision of our diverse heritage, unite our international resolve, and ensure that urban regeneration becomes the gateway to equity, safety, and resilience for all humankind. Together, let us prove that when we build with courage, we build with conviction, and kind heart, every human being can finally find a place that all of us call home. Thank you. 谢谢。Terima kasih.

Thank you, President Nakormin. For today's opening ceremony, Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, has sent a written message. Now I would like to give the floor to Mr. Stephen Jackson, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, to read the message. Welcome.

Excellency, friends, good afternoon.

Message. Wherever we look around the world, housing is in crisis. In the richest countries, our children fear that they will never be able to put a foot on the property ladder. For the more than 40 million refugees, 9 million asylum seekers, nearly 70 million conflict displaced around the world, just finding shelter is a distant dream. And in those countries lucky enough to be enjoying rapid growth, keeping up with galloping urbanization, contending with sprawling informal housing, and either ballooning or collapsing property markets, These are among the many bewildering challenges besetting governments. Housing, as you've heard, is about as fundamental a need as it gets, indeed, as fundamental a right, because adequate housing is a human right and is a foundation of the 2030 agenda, particularly SDG number 11 on sustainable cities and communities. And under the global lead of United Nations Habitat, The UN works to promote and protect that right every day and every year. And here in China, UN-China, we're working to support China's ambitions through the 15th Five-Year Plan, the 15th Five-Year Plan, to ensure that high-quality development of its real estate sector, advance urban renewal, accelerate the upgrading of the construction industry, and to secure a good start for housing and urban-rural development. In every country, in every culture, house is home, shelter, anchor, comfort, strength, the foundation for family and community. So on this day, we pledge ourselves once more to a world in which all have that home that they desire, the house that is their right. And now, it is my great honor to read you the United Nations Secretary General's message, and it begins On this World Cities Day, we confront a stark reality. More than 3 billion people lack access to adequate housing, including 1.1 billion living in informal settlements. At the same time, cities, home to more than half of humanity, face aging neighborhoods, rising costs, and intensifying climate risks. Urban regeneration offers a path forward. By revitalising existing urban areas, we can create more housing, upgrade infrastructure, and improve public spaces, making cities more resilient, inclusive, and connected. Achieving this vision requires planning and partnership. National and local governments Governments, financial institutions, the private sector and communities must work together to build cities that meet the needs of all residents, including women and young people, older persons and persons with disabilities. Housing is more than just shelter. It is foundational to tackling inequality and to speeding sustainable development. to invest in regeneration and adequate housing for all. Together, we can create greener, more secure, and more affordable cities where everyone has a place to call home.

Thank you all. Thank you, Secretary-General Guterres, and thank you, Mr. Jackson. Next, let's welcome United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ms. Rosberg. Welcome.

Your Excellency, Vice Premier of China, He Lifeng; Your Excellency, Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China; Your Excellency, Zhao Long, Secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, Fujian Province of China; Your Excellency Ngakor Ming, President of the United Nations Habitat Assembly and Minister of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia. Excellencies, Honorable Ministers, Mayors, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Fuzhou for the Global Observance of the World Cities Day 2026. This day is a culmination of our Urban October celebrations, a month-long campaign dedicated to advancing adequate and affordable housing and sustainable urban development. I have just arrived from Mexico City, where I announced the date for the 14th session of the World Urban Forum. WU-14 will take place from the 31st of July to the 4th of August 2028. I want to start by expressing my gratitude to the government of the People's Republic of China, the Fujian Provincial Government, and the Municipality of Fuzhou for hosting this important gathering. This year's theme is Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All. Let's think about it for a moment. Today, more than half of humanity lives in cities and towns. And by 2050, nearly 70% of the world's population is projected to live in urban areas. Urbanization remains one of the most defining forces of our century, creating opportunities for innovation, prosperity, and sustainable development. At the same time, it is also exposing deep inequalities and vulnerabilities. Across the world, cities are experiencing growing housing challenges. Up to 3.4 billion people globally lack adequate housing, including more than 1 billion people who still live in informal settlements and slums. The numbers are on the rise due to climate disasters, conflicts, and growing inequality. This might be numbers, big numbers. However, let's remember that these numbers are people whose health, access to education, economic opportunities, and sense of belonging are affected by the global housing crisis. Adequate housing is fundamental to human dignity. This is why the focus of urban regeneration is so timely. Regeneration is not only about renewing buildings, upgrading infrastructure, or revitalizing neighborhoods. It is about creating opportunities for people, restoring the vitality of communities, and ensuring that cities respond effectively to changing global, economic, and environmental realities. It enables us to make better use of existing urban assets while expanding access to adequate housing, improving public spaces, strengthening resilience, and supporting local economic development. The theme also reflects a broader shift in how we think about sustainable urbanization. The challenge is no longer simply how to accommodate urban growth and house people. Increasingly, it is how we improve the quality of urban life and improve inclusiveness and resilience of the urban areas. Regeneration offers exactly that, helping cities become more connected, more sustainable, better prepared for future challenges, and more focused on people and their needs. This vision lies at the heart of the New Urban Agenda and directly contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 11, which commits us to making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. More importantly, it contributes to progress across the wider 2030 agenda and all the sustainable development goals by linking housing, climate action, economic opportunity, and social inclusion through integrated urban solutions. This vision is also fully aligned with UN Habitat's strategic plan 2026-2029, which places housing, land, and basic services at the center of sustainable urban transformation. Through its focus on reducing inequalities, promoting shared prosperity, advancing climate action, and strengthening resilience, the strategic plan recognizes that housing is both a fundamental need and a catalyst for broader development outcomes. Across regions, cities, and communities are demonstrating how inclusive regeneration can improve living conditions, strengthen local economies, restore public spaces, and create more sustainable urban environments. We must move these approaches beyond individual projects. and reach the scale needed to address the global housing crisis. To do this, we need sustainable and strong political leadership, effective urban planning, adequate financing, and partnership across all levels of government, the private sector, civil society, and communities themselves. World Cities Day brings to a close Urban October. which we, at the World Hub that day, which in Muscat, Oman, on the 5th of October, started. Throughout the months, cities and communities around the world have engaged in events and activities to exchange experiences, share solutions, and advance the global dialogue on adequate housing and sustainable urban development. We held more than 215 events across 53 countries and 133 cities. Today, the World Cities Day returns again to its birthplace, China. The fourth cycle of Shanghai Award ceremony is being hosted here in Fuzhou, one of the first winners of the Shanghai Award. World Cities Day and Shanghai Award are unique platforms to learn from one another, strengthen partnerships, and advance collective action. The conversations that take place today should help us move beyond identifying challenges and toward implementing solutions capable of delivering meaningful and lasting change. Let us reaffirm our shared commitment to place people and adequate housing at the center of sustainable development. Let's ensure our cities become places of opportunity, resilience, and dignity for all. Thank you. Tse tse.

Thank you very much, Ms. Rosbach. Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, now, with great honor, I give you Vice Premier He Lifeng.

Your Honorable Executive Director, Madam Rosbach, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. It is such a pleasure to meet you all in the city of Fuzhou for the Global Observance of World Cities Day 2026. and the awarding ceremony of the fourth cycle of the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, the Shanghai Award, entrusted by Premier Li Qiang. On behalf of the government of China, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations and welcome to all our distinguished guests. Fuzhou is a city with over 2,000 years of history, and it is a city with mountains and seas, as well as rivers, and it has taken on a new life in tradition and history. And in the process of regeneration, it has unleashed its potentials and providing a vivid example for our theme that is regenerating the city, adequate housing for all. President Xi Jinping pointed out that the global observance of World Cities Day with the principle of better city, better life, and is dedicated to the sustainable development in cities around the world. And it is important for the sustainable development that is inclusive, mutual benefit, coordinated, and win-win. China continues to deepen its cooperation with the UN-Habitat. in hosting the ceremonies, awarding ceremonies of the Shanghai Award, and so to provide more public goods for urban development and as well as the human settlements, and build a platform for experience sharing and communication. Since China's opening up and reform, China has experienced the fastest and largest in scale urbanization process. The urban development is a journey of many ups and downs and stories, and seen many progress and achievements. From 1978 to 2025, our urbanization rate grew by 1% every year, and our urban population has increased from 170 million to 950 million, and the number of cities increased from 193 to 695. And in this process, China has adopted many practical and effective actions and explored the solutions to common challenges and has made tangible progress and achievements, and a coordinated development among economy, society, culture, as well as the environment. And so to make sure that our people have access to basic living and housing, and we are also faced with the challenges of rapid rising population. Now, our The per capita housing area is over 40 square meters and with on average, and 1.1 units per household. And also we have renovated over 280,000 old and obsolete households and benefiting over 48 million households. And so to make sure that a country with 1.4 billion population could have access to appropriate housing. And so in this process, China has deleted and make sure that there are no slums in our city. And so also we are promoting the high quality employment for our people, depending on their context and also the features and characteristics of each city, and adopting and prioritize employment. Urban employment ratio and the number of such employees has increased from 373 million in 2012 to 475 million in 2025, and the per capita disposable income of urban residents rose from 24,600 yuan in 2012 to 56,500 yuan in 2025, and we are the largest middle-income groups with over 400 million. In this process, China has avoided large-scale unemployment issues, so to make sure that all the strategies and policies are adopted and actually executed. And also, we promoted harmonized development between human beings and the nature, and improving the livelihood and the quality of life for our urban residents. And as of the end of 2025, the PM2.5 average concentration was reduced by 60% compared with the year of 2013, so becoming the country with the fastest speed in improving air quality, and also our per capita green space area reached 16.1 square meters, and the per capita sports venue area reached 3.1 square meters. And also our urban water supply popularization rate, gas, as well as a sewage treatment rate all exceeds 98%. All prefecture level cities above are accessed and covered by hospitals and of first-class hospitals, and more than 90% of our families can reach the nearest medical facility within 15 minutes. And in this process, China has avoided the path of pollution first and treatment later, and has achieved a more harmonized development between environment and urban development. At the same time, we are safeguarding our heritages, cultural heritages, heritages, and we are home to 146 national historical and cultural cities, as well as over 1,300 legacies, and these were included in the catalog and becoming an important carrier of our culture and history. And also, we are revitalizing the old buildings and landmarks, and so making them the new business card of our cities. And in process of urbanization, we never dwell on our past achievements and nor blindly chasing scale or novelty, and we want to make our city a harmonized picture of both history, tradition, and modernization. And faced with the challenges of today's urban development context, and we are changing and transforming our governance and to make sure our governance is More detail-oriented and intelligence-based, and we are also building smart cities and where cities are utilizing artificial intelligence, internet, as well as other intelligent technologies, and also. promoting a more accessible and internet-based government services. And in this process, we have avoided the issue of chaos or disorder in governance and making sure that the governance and management is orderly conducted. In this process, and overall speaking, China's new type, new style urbanization and urban development have been improved greatly and becoming an important space for people's high-quality livelihood, and our 19 city clusters are home to 75% of our population, contributed to more than 85% of our total GDP, and becoming a source of dynamics and vitality, and there are over -- there are 29 cities with trillion-level GDP, and they're more attractive, they're more and they are more vital. And distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, city is the advanced form of human civilization, therefore addressing urban issues reflect our level in human civilization. And so in addressing common challenges, only if we could work together, could we avoid these detours that we might have made in the past. and so to enrich the new forms of culture and traditions. And China has accumulated very rich experience in this process. And here, I would like to share with you some of our insights and as well as our initiatives, first, we need to put people first and making sure people can benefit from the urbanization. People are the ones that are enjoying and living in the city, and so it is our common goal that our people could live a happy and blessed life in cities and urban areas. And China always uphold the principle that cities are built by the people and for the people, and this has become the very foundation of many of our strategies and policies, that is, the result of urbanization should benefit our people.

For example, in the past 30 years, Shanghai has tackled the difficulties in urban development, especially in sanitary devices and also old housing renewal, solving the problem of lacking the toilet for the residents in the old districts, benefiting about 1 million urban residents. So this is a vivid example of how we try to meet the needs for people's livelihoods. Second, planning guidance for coordinated development of the urban spaces. Cities as an organic organism need systematic planning. China was adhered to the principle of using planning to guide urban development. So we have a coordinated, complementary, and also well-matched urban planning system. At a macro level, by implementing the functional zone strategy, we identify the different functional orientation of the territorial spaces units. And at the regional level, we use the urban clusters and metropolitan areas as the drivers for development to coordinate large, medium, and small-sized cities and their coordinated development. At the urban level, we have identified the boundary for permanent farmland and also eco-conservation. And these three lines of control have greatly curbed the sprawl of cities. For example, the case of the non-capital functions of Beijing. and also the promotion of the development of the Xinghua New District are successful examples of how densely populated areas can optimize their development. And we have also provided new approaches to solve the big city diseases and also in optimizing regional layout. Thirdly, we adhere to reform and innovation so as to improve the drive for urban sustainable development. Cities also undergoes the period of starting up, growth, mature, decline, and regeneration. Therefore, we need to tackle the features at different stages to depend our reform. When urban development enters a maturing stage, its emphasis will surely shift from outward sprawl to innovative improvement in quality. So China have used urban renewal to reshape new urban spaces, to cultivate new drivers, and also to give a new life to cities, so as to keep our urban development always young and full of vitality. For example, the Beijing Capital Steel and Iron Garden using the Winter Olympic Games as the driver and starting point, has preserved the industrial heritage as well as the upgrading of the functional spaces, transforming the area from a traditional industrial architectural area to a modern space for creativity, making it a new landmark of urban renewal. Fourth, we need to adhere to the cultural and context of the cities. to keep the gene and the tradition of the national traditional culture of China. Cities are carriers of the culture and emotion of of our history and culture. So we need to emphasize development within conservation, and conservation within development. We need to have the living inheritance of the cultural and historical heritages so that people can see the mountains, waters, and also remember the nostalgia and the past history of the city. For example, Fuzhou City. In Future City, we have the three blocks and seven lanes, which are called the living fossil of the old urban layout of Lefang. which has conserved the original flavor of the historical city, the old streets, and also improved infrastructures, and also avoided the potential dangers in structure and also fire accidents. We have introduced new businesses and continued the hustle bustle and the lively atmosphere of the blocks. Now, china is now moving from a rapid growth in urbanization to a steady development period, and urban development is moving from incremental growth to quality-enhancing stage. In 2025, we have called the Central Conference on Urban Work, and President Xi Jinping issued very important instructions during this conference. and put out the grand blueprint of building a livable, beautiful, resilient, civilized, and smart cities of the people. To achieve this objective, we will use the theme of high-quality urban development and also improve the connotation of urban development and using urban renewal as the important entry point to embark on a new path of urbanization with Chinese characteristics. And we will try to achieve five transformations and five emphases. That is to transform our ideology and philosophy for urban development to a more people-oriented manner. We will change our urban development path to intensive and high-efficiency approach. We will transform our urban drivers into more efficient development. The emphasis of our framework to more governance-oriented, and we will change our approach to urban work towards more coordination. So this is the periodical summary of China's urban development practices and hope that it will serve as references for other cities in similar practices. Ladies and gentlemen, friends, about more than half of the world's population now live in cities. So the outcome of urban governance is directly related to the livelihood and well-being of global development. At present, we are in a period unseen for 100 years. We are facing geopolitical conflicts and also uneven development, exacerbating climate change, and also constraints in resource and environment. Our interests are intertwined as our challenges. So in this time of adversity, countries should join hands together and deepen our cooperation. And I think today's event, with the theme of regenerating cities, happened at the right time, because urban renewal and urban regeneration is a strong momentum and driver for high-quality development. And building livable city and chasing our dream carries our aspiration for a better life. China as a responsible major nation We'll practice the philosophy of building a community with a shared future for mankind and also practice the four major global development initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping. First, we hope that countries should jointly support UN-Habitat and play an even greater role. UN-Habitat plays a very important role in promoting global habitat development. And China will actively implement its obligations in 2026 to 2027 as the chair of the Executive Bureau of UN-Habitat. We will strengthen our strategic planning, deepen exchanges of urban governance experiences, and also knowledge and capability building in urban development, and also help countries in the world, especially those in the Global South. in their efforts of housing guarantee, infrastructure development, smart city, resilient city, etc., so as to promote efficient urban transformation. We hope to work with the UN-Habitat for strategic coordination and to co-discuss a new outlook on global governance, and also to explore the new blue sea for pragmatic cooperation. Second, we want to share with other countries in urban development. with our own experiences. China has for the very first time compiled the Chinese report on implementing the new urban agenda, which is a systematic compilation of the Chinese practice in sustainable urban development, which will serve as reference for cities around the world. China will always help developing countries in terms of housing development, urban construction, resilience infrastructure, and other by offering the training program so as to improve the capacity building of the related countries. And we will promote the BRI landmark projects and also small-scale livelihood projects so that our cooperation project can benefit more people and also touch more localities. We hope that under the framework of the United Nations, UN-Habitat, we can have policy dialogues, experience sharing on urban development, as well as capacity building and cooperation, so as to turn our own knowledge in urban development into global consensus and to promote higher quality, higher efficiency, and more sustainable development of the cities. Thirdly, we hope that countries can offer public goods in global urban development. And we will give a full play to the events such as the Global Observance of World Cities Day and also the Shanghai Award to better improve the compilation of the Shanghai Manual and also the 21st century Urban Sustainable Development Guideline, the Global Urban Monitoring Framework, the Shanghai Application Indicator, et cetera, to improve the public goods supply to global cities. China is willing to work with the UN-Habitat to build the International Alliance on Global Sustainable Development Awards to increase the synergy between the cities and also to tackle the common challenges facing urban development around the world. We hope that all countries can join hands in one mind and build more platforms for urban governance and development globally. Ladies and gentlemen, friends, urban sustainable development is a global undertaking which calls for the joint efforts of all countries. China is willing to join hands with various parties to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the New Urban Agenda, and also to share our urban development experiences and practices, and to create an even more brilliant urban civilization of humanity, so that our development can better benefit the people around the world. So we will surely have better cities and better lives. I wish today's event a complete success. Thank you.

Thank you, Vice Premier He Lifeng. Ladies and gentlemen, friends, urban sustainable development is a common undertaking of us all, while happy home and also resilient homeland is the common aspiration of us all. China has adhered to the philosophy of building cities for the people, and we want to build beautiful, resilient, civilized, and also smart cities for people in the modern time. Just now, Vice Premier He Lifeng has summarized the historical achievements of China's urban development as well as the useful experiences and have proposed the cooperation programs under the UN framework, and also the practical path for countries to deepen our cooperation. And his remarks have provided the Chinese solution for advancing global sustainable development and better livelihood for people around the world. We are willing to deepen our mutual learning and cooperation with various countries for pragmatic cooperation and contribute the Chinese wisdom to global urban sustainable development. Let's use today's event as a new starting point and turn our consensus into actions, and also turn our visions into reality. and make new and greater contribution to building a shared, a community with a shared future for mankind. With this, I will conclude my moderation today. Thank you all.

Thank you, Minister Ni Hong, for your moderation. And our next session will be the award ceremony for the Shanghai Award.