On the afternoon of November 5, the parallel session on "Industrial Development and Sustainable Cities – Innovative and Inclusive Synergy Strategy" was held in Shanghai as part of the 7th Hongqiao International Economic Forum, co-hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. Deputy to the Director General and the Managing Director, UNIDO Ms. Cecilia Ugaz Estrada, and Mr. Zhao Chunfeng, Deputy Director General, Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce, attended the forum and delivered opening remarks. Keynote speeches were given by Ms. Jiang Xiaojuan, Professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Former Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council; Ms. Wang Chunying, President of the Export-Import Bank of China; and Ms. Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation.

Ms. Cecilia Ugaz Estrada highlighted that UNIDO is committed to ensuring industrial development contributes to building resilient, inclusive, and environmentally conscious cities. Rapid urbanization brings significant challenges, such as environmental pressure, resource inadequacy, and social inequality, yet also offers opportunities for innovation. Integrating industrial parks into urban spaces and employing green technology helps create jobs, promote local prosperity, and reduce the environmental impact of industrial activities. Through frameworks like the Belt and Road Initiative, UNIDO is working with China towards the shared goal of establishing sustainable urban-industrial ecosystems.

Deputy Director General Zhao Chunfeng noted that the Ministry of Commerce has served as the gateway for UNIDO-China cooperation for over 50 years, facilitating more than 400 projects. China has experienced the largest and fastest urbanization in history, with special economic zones playing a vital role in utilizing foreign capital to build a modern industrial system. Following the recent Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, the Chinese government has introduced a five-year plan for a people-centered new urbanization strategy. The Ministry of Commerce is committed to leading Chinese agencies in strengthening comprehensive cooperation with UNIDO, deepening high-quality Belt and Road collaborations, and fostering a fair industrial development environment.

Ms. Jiang Xiaojuan delivered a keynote on "Promoting High-Level Integration of Industry and Cities with Digital Technology." She emphasized that aligning industrial and urban development benefits balanced production and consumption, regional and urban-rural development, and optimized resource allocation. In the digital age, industrial-urban integration is evolving, with deeper synergy between next-generation information technology and urban infrastructure, higher effectiveness of integration, and new models of city and industry cluster integration driven by digital technology.

Ms. Wang Chunying underscored the Export-Import Bank of China's commitment to the Global Development Initiative, emphasizing development first, tackling development challenges, focusing on inclusive growth, promoting human-centered development, prioritizing coordinated innovation to tap into secondary economic growth curves, and knowledge-sharing to support capacity-building in developing countries. Moving forward, the bank will strengthen innovation-driven growth, enhance development quality, mobilize resources, and deepen international cooperation for shared development.

Ms. Dima Al-Khatib stressed that the UN Office for South-South Cooperation is dedicated to addressing urbanization challenges by sharing technology and social experience, as well as developing solutions for digital, green, and urban growth through the South-South Summit. Recently, the Office has adopted innovative approaches, working with China, India, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia on collaborative projects that contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Currently, there are over 900 best practices and more than 30 innovative projects and urban experiences available for sharing.

The forum also featured panel discussions with representatives from government, academia, and industry on topics such as opportunities and challenges in industrial-urban integration and the role of innovation and collaboration in promoting urban industrial development.

During the forum, UNIDO released the Industrial Development Report 2024, highlighting the role of industry in achieving sustainable development goals and advocating for forward-looking, innovative industrial policies aimed at promoting international cooperation and integrating sustainable practices.

The UN Office for South-South Cooperation and the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges released a video titled "Green Hope Under the Sun", showcasing China's pivotal role in solar technology development and application, as well as its efforts to share these advanced technologies through South-South cooperation projects.