On the afternoon of November 30th, at the thematic forum "Enduring Vitality: The Secret of Guangzhou's Millennial Dynamism" during the 2025 Understanding China Conference (Guangzhou), global guests, experts, scholars and business representatives shared their perspectives from various angles.

"When I think of Guangzhou, the first thing that comes to mind is a city that always looks outward to the world," said Sato Kilman, former Prime Minister of Vanuatu, in his speech. He noted that Guangzhou is open, inclusive and full of vitality, and has become an important hub for cooperation between Vanuatu and China. "For Vanuatu, understanding Guangzhou means recognizing the opportunities that lie ahead in our future cooperation. Guangzhou is not only a city of China, but also a city of the world. Its vitality has already reached the shores of Vanuatu and strengthened the friendship between our peoples."

Zafar Uddin Mahmood, president of the Understanding China Forum and former Special Envoy of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), also spoke about Guangzhou's culture of openness. "The spirit of openness has become part of Guangzhou's urban DNA," he said. Having once studied in Guangzhou, he added, "Guangzhou's vitality lies in its humanistic spirit—its people are bold in embracing change and leading the way."

At the conference, the renovation cases of Hongqiao Subdistrict in Yuexiu District and Langtou Village in Huadu District drew the attention of international participants. Speaking in fluent Chinese, Zafar offered his reflections: "The fundamental reason for the success of these renovation projects is consultation with the people. This fully reflects the Chinese practice of whole-process people's democracy. These examples help to tell China's stories well to the world."

广州的“活力密码”是什么？“读懂中国”外宾与专家学者这样说

11月30日下午，在2025年“读懂中国”国际会议“生生不息：千年广州的活力密码”专题论坛上，多位外宾、专家学者、企业代表等从不同角度进行分享。

“当谈到广州的时候，我首先想到的是一座总是面向世界的城市。”瓦努阿图前总理萨托·基尔曼在致辞中表示，广州开放包容充满活力，已经成为瓦努阿图与中国开展合作的重要枢纽，“对于瓦努阿图而言，读懂广州意味着认清未来合作中我们所拥有的机遇。广州不仅是一座中国的城市，更是世界的广州，它的活力已经触及了瓦努阿图的海岸，也联系着两国人民的友谊。”

巴基斯坦“读懂中国”论坛理事长、中巴经济走廊巴基斯坦前特使扎法尔·乌丁·马赫默德也提到了开放的“密码”：“开放精神已经成为了广州城市基因中的一部分。”扎法尔曾在广州求学，他表示：“广州的活力在于其人文精神，广州的人民敢为人先拥抱变革。”

在这个国际会议的现场，广州越秀区洪桥街道与花都塱头村的改造典型案例引起了外宾的关注。扎法尔用流利的中文即兴分享了自己的思考：“（改造成功）最根本的原因是跟群众协商，这充分体现了全过程人民民主的中国实践。这些案例有助于向世界讲好中国故事。”

文 | 记者 张小悦
图 | 记者 黄城栋
翻译 | 曾敏
审校 | 赵凡