The 2023 Wuxi International Month and International Cherry Blossom Festival kick off in Wuxi. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]

The 2023 Wuxi International Month was launched in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, on March 20, marking the opening of the International Cherry Blossom Festival.

The event was attended by nearly 400 representatives from consulates general of various countries in Shanghai and business organizations from 29 countries and regions.

Thomas Kerkfoff, mayor of Bocholt in Germany, who visited Wuxi for the first time said, "I am impressed by Wuxi. It's a beautiful city." He noted that the event reflects the internationalization of Wuxi, a result of the city's years of international exchanges and cooperation.

Guests at the launch ceremony of the 2023 Wuxi International Month and the International Cherry Blossom Festival. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]

Bruno Jans, Consul General of Belgium in Shanghai, believes that the international month and cherry blossom festival connect Wuxi to the world and create opportunities for business cooperation.

He thanked Wuxi for its hospitality and hopes to explore more cooperation with the city in the future.

Participants pose for a group photo during the launch ceremony of the 2023 Wuxi International Month and the International Cherry Blossom Festival. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]

Mihaly Babak, mayor of Szarvas in Hungary, said that he was pleased to visit Wuxi and that he hopes for more frequent exchanges and cooperation with the city to create a stronger partnership.

During the launch ceremony, Wuxi inked sister-city cooperation agreements with Bocholt and Szarvas. An innovation center for EU projects, the Yangtze River Delta (Wuxi) Center of the international communication base of huanqiu.com, and the China-Brazil Youth Football Training Base were unveiled on the same day.