Paintings by children from Nantong and eight of its international friendship cities are on display at the Nantong Library on May 31. [Photo/ntjoy.com]

The first Dream and Draw Nantong International Friendship-City Youth Painting Festival opened in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, on May 31.

More than 150 works by children from Nantong and eight of its friendship cities in Serbia, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Denmark, and Chile are on display at the Nantong Library. The exhibition will run until June 7.

Government leaders from friendship cities such as Gimje, Zvezdara, and Iquique sent their regards through videos or via congratulation letters, hoping to strengthen economic, cultural, and educational cooperation with Nantong.

Dejan Marinkovic, consul general of Serbia in Shanghai, attended the opening ceremony in person and thanked China for its assistance to his country during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. 

He said that the friendship between the two countries was as strong as steel and iron, and that the painting festival will help strengthen Nantong's relationships with its friendship cities.

Nantong has established friendship-city ties with 26 cities in 16 countries, according to Huang Weicheng, president of the Nantong People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

The city has been providing assistance to its international friends in the fight against COVID-19 since last year by sharing its experiences in epidemic prevention and control and sending anti-epidemic supplies.

Huang said that the painting festival helps children from different countries overcome geographical and linguistic obstacles to learn more about each other. He also hopes that more children will work to strengthen Nantong's international relationships.