A certificate honoring Nantong for its contribution to The Future in Our Roots writing competition and the strengthening of China-Italy friendship. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Four articles by Nantong recently won awards at The Future in Our Roots writing competition hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the OBOR Italian Institute, and Italian online media Discoverplaces.travel, local media reported.

The works, including an essay, a poem and a narrative work, tells stories of how Nantong and its sister city Siena worked together to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.

Siena: A City Awakened by the Sound of Church Bells in Italy by Zhu Jiayi, a postgraduate at the School of Art of Nantong University, also won the honor of the "best story hailing China-Italy friendship".

The competition attracted 31 participants from 12 Chinese cities and more than 100 participants from 104 Italian cities.

The foreign affairs office of Nantong had submitted eight works to the competition, with four winning awards. The works will be published on the official website and social media accounts of Discoverplaces.travel.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Italy. Nantong and Siena also officially established sister-city relations this year.

Officials said that the competition has offered a new way for Nantong to raise its profile among countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.