Wuxi (Chinese: 无锡) — a city in Province, the official sister city of Nizhny Novgorod since August 2026. Prior to that, for 12 years, Wuxi held the status of a partner city of the Nizhny Novgorod capital.

Establishment of Sister-City Relations

On 14 August 2026, on the eve of 805th Anniversary Celebration of Nizhny Novgorod (2026), Shalabayev Yuri and Jiang Feng, Mayor of the People's Government of Wuxi, signed a sister-city agreement. The document provides for the development of cooperation in the scientific-technical, educational, cultural, humanitarian, and economic spheres, as well as the maintenance of stable, mutually beneficial contacts.[1][3]

The signing ceremony took place as part of the International Forum "Sister Cities""""""""""""""""""""""""", held at the Mayak Academy. At the meeting with the Wuxi delegation, Shalabaev noted that cooperation between the cities had begun 12 years earlier. Chen Shoubin, Secretary-General of the People's Government of Wuxi, emphasized that previous joint projects had confirmed both sides' interest in continuing the partnership.[1]

Prior to the signing of the agreement, Nizhny Novgorod had two sister cities in China — Jinan and Hefei. Wuxi, along with Harbin, Heihe, and Zhuhai, was among the partner cities. With the acquisition of its new status, the relevant departments of the Nizhny Novgorod administration have been instructed to prepare a road map for further cooperation.[1][3]

History of Cooperation

Over 12 years of partnership, the cities have held a number of joint events. Since 2021, students from Nizhny Novgorod art schools have participated in the Jiangsu Province International Youth Art Competition and have won prizes.[1] Business missions are held on a regular basis: in September 2025, business representatives from Wuxi visited Nizhny Novgorod to meet with local entrepreneurs.[3]

During his visit to Nizhny Novgorod in August 2026, Chen Shoubin noted the similarities between the two cities: both are situated on rivers and hills, have developed industry, and possess a rich cultural heritage. Chen Shoubin also expressed his admiration for Maxim Gorky, whose works are beloved and studied in China.[3]

Sources

  1. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — Chinese Wuxi became a sister city of Nizhny Novgorod (archive)
  2. Vremya N — Shalabaev signed a memorandum on the development of cooperation with the Chinese partner city of Heihe (archive)
  3. Zhivyom v Nizhnem — Nizhny Novgorod became a sister city of the Chinese city of Wuxi — Zhivyom v Nizhnem — Chen Shoubin, Secretary-General of the People's Government of Wuxi, visiting Nizhny Novgorod for the first time in…
  4. Newsroom24 — Nizhny Novgorod signed a sister-city agreement with China's Wuxi (archive)
  5. Newsroom24 — Yuri Shalabaev signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Chinese city of Heihe (archive)