On October 26, 2026, Ambassador of China to Cyprus Yang Yundong attended the twining ceremony of Yancheng and Paralimni-Deryneia. The event was also attended by, among others, Mr Wang Rong, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Yancheng Municipal People’s Congress, and Mr George Nikolettos, Mayor of Paralimni-Deryneia.

Ambassador Yang pointed out that this year marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 5th anniversary of strategic partnership between China and Cyprus; bilateral relations between the two countries have maintained a strong momentum; and subnational cooperation has come a long way under the framework of the China-Cyprus Sister City Alliance. He stressed that in this context, the twinning of Yancheng and Paralimni-Deryneia carries special significance, and they are expected to leverage complementary strengths and step up interactions, so as to deliver benefits to their peoples with concrete cooperation outcomes, and contribute even more to the growth of China-Cyprus relations. 

Chairman Wang and Mayor Nikolettos elaborated on the economic and social development of their respective cities, and expressed willingness to jointly deepen practical cooperation and people-to-people ties, with a view to strengthening sister city relations and supporting the bonds between the two countries.