The Mayor of Alcoy, Toni Francés, participated this Friday in the II China–Spain Mayors Dialogue 2026, held in Yantai, Shandong province. The meeting is part of an institutional trip organized by the China Chair Foundation and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to strengthen relations between local administrations of both countries.
The program, running from August 25 to September 1, includes meetings with authorities, visits to companies and institutions, and technical tours of various urban projects in Beijing, Yantai, Yangzhou, and Shanghai. The initiative aims to foster mutual understanding and open new avenues for cooperation in areas such as innovation, sustainability, urban development, culture, tourism, and public service provision.
The delegation visited the Tianning No. 1 Zero Carbon Smart Park in Beijing, a benchmark for sustainable urban regeneration based on renewable energy and artificial intelligence. This model is relevant for Alcoy due to similarities with the recovery of old industrial sites.
In Yantai, the delegation was received by local authorities and participated in the II China–Spain Mayors Dialogue, themed «Synergies between Spanish and Chinese Municipalities in a Transforming World: Cooperation for a Shared Future».
Toni Francés spoke at the panel «Innovating to Advance: Smart Cities at the Service of People», outlining Alcoy's strategy in data, experimentation, and collaboration, including initiatives like the Smart City platform and the Urban Sandbox.
«This meeting allows us to directly learn about the urban and technological transformations underway in China and to present Alcoy's experience as an industrial city committed to innovation», stated Francés, who thanked the organizers for the opportunity to establish relationships for future concrete projects.
The trip will continue with visits to Yangzhou and Shanghai, where the delegation will hold institutional meetings and learn about projects in sectors such as artificial intelligence and international logistics.
