BEIJING, Sept 26: China is willing to share its experience and knowledge with Pakistan and other regional countries in developing mega cities. This was stated by Zhang Li, a senior official of the Chinese Cities Mayors Association.

"We wish to work together with friendly and neighbouring countries including Pakistan to identify and overcome our common problems in the development of urban areas."

Talking to APP here on Sunday, he said China attaches great importance to integrated regional development in order to meet common challenges and aspirations. "Pakistan is our friendly country and we wish to develop comprehensive bilateral partnership in all areas of mutual interest," he added.

The mayors of mega cities, he suggested, should develop permanent network and interaction for helping each other in their development projects. The Chinese official hoped the regional countries would strengthen the mutual cooperation to realize the complementary advantages and mutual benefits in evolving and implementing their development strategies.

Meanwhile, the first high-level forum of the 'World Mega Cities Development Cooperation' began on Sunday for promoting exchanges and cooperation among mega cities and big cities around the world.

More than 300 participants, including more than 100 mayors or delegates from 25 countries and 16 Chinese mayors of Yangtze River Delta cities, attended the forum held in Nantong, a city located on the Yangtze River Delta which boasts the most of China's mega cities.

Although the mega cities on Yangtze River Delta have taken lead in the economic growth rate around the world for more than ten years, it is still very necessary for them to exchange and cooperate with other developed mega cities, said Gu Xiulian, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of China National People's Congress.

"This forum will focus on common cultural, ecological, humanistic and social problems in the development, and will exchange views on how best to overcome them," said Fidel Ramos, chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia (BRA).

"Mobility, technology and the increasingly borderless nature of our world means that we need to search for new ways to grasp the best practices, the best ideas, the best economic and environmental remedies and the new innovations and share them in such a way that many benefit," said Jenny Shipley.

Several foreign mayors and experts gave speeches at the opening ceremony, including Washington vice-mayor Rober C. Robb, Greater London Authority chief executive Jeffery Mayer, British economist Tom Cannon.

Addressing the opening session, BRA secretary Long Yongtu said the forum was intended to provide a communication platform for world political, business and academic leaders.

He said: "We believe that world economic globalization and regionalization is full of opportunities and challenges and it is highly important to strengthen world mega cities development cooperation."

"We want to make the forum a win-win venue to strengthen social and economic ties among world mega cities and other community, we adopted a pragmatic principle and strive to push forward real world interaction and cooperation between cities, industries and enterprises," he added. -APP