The second China-France Round Table of Mayors will be held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China Sichuan Province from Jan. 24 to 25.

The two-day meeting was organized by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the France-China Committee, and will be hosted by the Chengdu Municipal Government. The first meeting, held in February of last year in Lyon, France, attracted more than 100 representatives from the two countries, who discussed such issues as the flow of Chinese rural residents to cities, environmental protection and energy policy.

According to Mao Zhixiong, Chengdu's Secretary-General, the round table will gather together more than 10 French mayors from cities including Paris, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Nice and Strasbourg and twelve Chinese mayors from cities including Chengdu, Qingdao, Wuhan, and Chongqing Municipality. Representatives from four transnational companies and officials from the China Development Bank and its provincial branches will also attend.

Mao said the representatives will hold discussions on urban and rural construction, coordinated development of cities and countryside, tourism and urban development, small and medium-sized companies and urban development, protection of city heritage and environmental protection. Representatives from Chengdu and Montpellier will discuss setting up a representative organization of the two cities. Other Chinese mayors will discuss economic cooperation with their French counterparts.

Twenty-four years ago Chengdu and Montpellier established sister-city relationship, which is the first between China and France. French President Jacques Chirac also chose Chengdu as the first leg of his China visit in 2004, Mao said. Several French companies, such as Carrefour, have successful businesses in Chengdu, he said.