Recently, during Sultan of Brunei Hassanal's state visit to China, Nanjing and Bandar Seri Begawan, the only pair of sister cities between China and Brunei, renewed their sister-city agreement, which was included in the joint statement between the two countries.
Brunei has been an important part of the Maritime Silk Road since ancient times. Over 600 years ago, Maharaja Karna, the king of Boni (present-day Brunei), passed away during his visit to the Ming Dynasty and was buried in Shizigang outside Nanjing's Andemen. Today, the Tomb of the King of Boni is a major historical and cultural site protected at the national level. Due to this historical connection, Nanjing established a sister-city relationship with Brunei's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, in 2011. The recent renewal marks a new chapter in their friendly exchanges and gives new impetus to the deepening strategic partnership between China and Brunei.
Over the years, Nanjing has engaged in extensive exchanges and cooperation with Brunei and Bandar Seri Begawan. Nanjing has placed great importance on preserving the Tomb of the King of Boni, including building the Memorial Park of the King of Boni, restoring the Dewan Persahabatan China-Brunei, and establishing the History Exhibition Hall of the King of Boni, in order to ensure that this cultural heritage continues to shine.
In the economic sector, at the 2020 Economic & Trade Matchmaking Conference on Building Nanjing into a Key Hub of Belt and Road Initiative, Rahmani, Bruneian Ambassador to China, delivered a speech and presented Brunei's investment environment. In 2021, Jiangsu Zhongkun Chuangjia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on e-commerce cooperation with the Brunei-China Friendship Association. In addition, Nanjing Chemical Construction Co., Ltd. won the EPC contract (Phase 1) for the western and eastern tank farms of the Hengyi (Brunei) PMB Petrochemical Project in March 2017, successfully delivered the project and won multiple awards.
Educational cooperation between the two sides has yielded remarkable results, from MoUs for academic exchange signed between schools to various exchange activities. Nanjing has invited university students from Brunei to participate in the Nanjing International Youth Exchange Program and has supported Bruneian students in the city in applying for scholarships. Collaboration in talent cultivation is also advancing, as many primary and secondary schools from both sides have established partnerships and hosted themed educational activities. These efforts have built bridges for young students and fostered educational resource sharing and cultural exchange between the two countries.
Rich cultural exchange activities have further deepened the friendship between the two sides. Since 2014, Nanjing has sent dragon boat teams to Brunei many times to participate in races. In December 2021, cooperation memoranda were signed between the Nanjing Sports Federation and the Wushu Federation of Brunei Darussalam, and between China International Travel Service (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. and the Brunei-China Friendship Association, to enhance collaboration in sports and tourism. In August 2024, Nanjing, the Chinese Embassy in Brunei and Huifong's Art Gallery co-hosted the Brunei-China Art and Visual Culture Festival in Bandar Seri Begawan, attracting over 200 participants from the arts, academia and government sectors of both countries.
The renewal of this sister-city agreement marks a new starting point for cooperation. Moving forward, Nanjing will continue to promote diverse exchanges and collaboration in culture, education, tourism and trade. By building comprehensive and multi-level cooperation channels, Nanjing aims to support China's overall diplomacy and make greater contributions to the enhancement of bilateral relations between China and Brunei.
