Source: Global Times    Published: 2019-11-7

Cities should serve their citizens and it takes efforts from the whole society to cultivate amicable cities so that people can feel more secure and happier, experts noted at a seminar in Beijing on Tuesday.

"The project of discovering amicable cities along the Silk Road has drawn attention from all over the world since it was launched in January," Liu Zhiqin, head of Silk Road City Institute said at the seminar.

The standard for amicable cities has been widely acknowledged, which is the city's performance in areas of security, stability, health and comfort.

Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University, said that culture is the spirit of a city, and how to make culture a driven force for economic development is a tough task for every city.

The project is timely as it helps protect the tradition of a city and avoid damage of historical treasures during the progress of city modernization, said Zhou Tianyong, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

Vitality, inclusiveness and whether a city is a suitable place to live for people of different ages are the most important factors to evaluate whether the city is amicable, said Ding Gang, a senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.

Experts praised the four aspects of the amicable city's standards.

The four standards represent a city's security and livability, including climate, ecology, employment, and other aspects, Ding said.

The project has now developed a 100-reviewer group from various fields including political, academic, business, cultural personnel, and has explored over a dozen cities.

Ding Gang is a senior editor with People's Daily, and currently a senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China. Liu Zhiqin is a senior fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.