As one of the concurrent sessions of the 2017 Global Fortune Forum, the Mayors’ Forum “Future Cities: Forum on Governance and Innovation” was successfully launched in Shangri-la Hotel Guangzhou on December 7, 2017.
The forum gathered mayors from different cities, including Wen Guohui, Mayor of Guangzhou, China; Yao Yisheng, Mayor of Zhuhai, China; Soichiro Takashima, Mayor of Fukuoka, Japan; Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, UK; Alain Galliano, Vice President, Métropole de Lyon, France; and Ye Niuping, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou, China. The mayors shared their experience on governance innovation, discussed the issues faced by and strategies of the cities in China and other countries in development, and explored the optimal urban governance solutions.
In his keynote speech, Wen Guohui said that Guangzhou is a 2,200-year old historic city, an important national central city in China, an international commerce and trade center, and a comprehensive transportation hub. Yet like other cities in the world, Guangzhou is faced with problems along with its urban development.
Guangzhou is determined to fully implement the spirit of the 19th Congress, and, under the guidance of the new development concepts, proactively engage in the Belt and Road Initiative so as to constantly enhance the urban governance performance and take a comprehensive governance approach that accommodates both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives, technology and art, rule of law and humanity.
Mayor Wen also hoped to learn the urban governance experience from cities of other countries at the Forum and make Guangzhou a city of good governance.
At the subsequent dialogue, Yao Yisheng, Mayor of Zhuhai, Marvin Rees, Soichiro Takashima, Mayor of Fukuoka, Mayor of Bristol, and Alain Galliano, Vice President, Métropole de Lyon exchanged ideas and experience on urban governance issues including “solving problems brought on by rapid urbanization with new technology”, “impacts of IoT, big data and AI on different aspects of cities”, and “how smart cities would change the living quality, human health, community and communications.”
Reference Information
Speaker Profile
WEN Guohui
Mayor, Guangzhou Municipal Government, China (opening remarks)
Deputy Secretary of CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee, with previous positions including Deputy Governor of Guangdong Province, Secretary of CPC Shanwei Municipal Committee, Director-General of Guangdong Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and Director General of Guangdong Provincial Information Industry Department. Wen graduated from the Management Engineering Dept of South China University of Technology and received a Master of Engineering degree in Industrial Management Engineering.
Yao Yisheng,
Mayor, Zhuhai Municipal Government, China
Deputy Secretary of CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee and Mayor of Zhuhai, with previous positions including Party Secretary and Deputy Director-General of Guangdong Provincial Environment Protection Bureau, Secretary of CPC Haizhu District Committee and Mayor of Haizhu District in Guangzhou. Yao graduated from South China Agricultural University.
Takashima Soichiro
Mayor of Fukuoka, Japan
In 2010, the 36-year-old Soichiro was elected as the youngest mayor of Fukuoka in history. Since then, he has been dedicated to promoting Fukuoka at home and abroad. He established a supporting system for start-up companies featured by deregulation, becoming a powerful driving force for leading the start-up companies initiative and policy-making.
Marvin Rees
Mayor of Bristol, UK
Marvin Rees was elected as Mayor of Bristol in May of 2016. He previously worked for BBC Radio Bristol as a Broadcast Journalist, program manager in public health and voluntary sectors in both the UK and the US. Marvin studied in both countries as well. He majored in Economic History and Politics at Swansea University, later receiving a master degree in Political Theory and Government. In US, Marvin attended Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania and completed a Master’s Degree in Global Economic Development and later undertook the prestigious Yale World Fellows global leadership programme, the University’s signature global leadership development initiative. His determination to provide better opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds led him to initiate the City Leadership Program in 2012, investing in the personal development and training for future leaders, and continued as its director. Marvin himself is a participant of Operation Black Vote and the Labor Future Candidate program. Marvin has pledged to serve as the ambassador of Bristol, make Bristol a fairer and globalized city for all. His priorities are to tackle Bristol’s housing crisis by building more homes, improving traffic conditions and people flow across the city, ensuring early intervention in health and well-being and promoting social mobility through access to education and skills.
Alain Galliano
Vice Regional President, Lyon Metropolis
Born in 1946, Alain Galliano is married with three daughters. He graduated from Em-Lyon Business School, obtaining MBA in New York University and Doctoral Degree of Management in Grenoble. After completing the study at Ecole Nationale d’Administration(ENA), Alain Galliano joined the Ministry of Finances (International Department of the Treasury) in 1970. He assumed various diplomatic positions: Commercial Attaché in New York and Commercial and Economic Advisor in Malaysia, Los Angeles, Ireland and Switzerland. He took quite a few of positions in France: Regional Director for External Trade in the Burgundy, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Rhône-Alpes regions. From 1987 to 1989, he was the Director of the Foreign Fairs and Events Committee, and the Managing Director of the Maison de la France, the world tourism pattern between 1995 and 1996. At present, Alain Galliano gives lectures on geostrategy and international marketing for top-flight French business schools. From 1989, he became the Mayor of the Community of Craponne (10,000 inhabitants). Meanwhile, he is the Vice President of Lyon Metropolis for International Relations and Investment Promotion. Honors: Chevalier (Knight) of the French Legion of Honor and Officer of the French National Order of Merit.
MC Profile
TIAN Wei
MC of CCTV English International Channel
TIAN is the top TV reporter in China, kicking off her career as a Washington correspondent, the only female reporter from China at that time. She reported the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War during that period. Currently, she hosts the World Insight, the very first program incorporating global debates and exclusive interviews of CCTV English International Channel. Various opinions and thoughts are represented on live via connecting the interviewees across the world. She holds in-depth interviews and produces feature reports for celebrities from all walks of life. Madame Tian has been recognized by a number of professional awards. Apart from that, she presides over events in honor of visiting foreign dignitaries hosted by Chinese President and the First Lady. Madame Tian began her career with China Radio International as producer and announcer.
