Paris（France）

Paris（France）

[Overview] Situated in the center of the Paris Basin in northern France, Paris is the capital of France, with a population of 2.24 million in an area of 105 square kilometers.

[Politics] Paris is the only city in France that is also a department. It is governed by the city council and the city government. The city council is responsible for making all major decisions concerning the City of Paris and the Department of Paris, including decisions concerning the annual government budget, regional tax rates, government subsidies, and city plans. The city council consists of 163 members elected for a term of six years. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Paris are elected by the city council. As the representative of the central government, the Mayor is responsible for dealing with the political, economic, cultural, educational and urban planning matters of the city. The incumbent Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, was elected in April 2014 for a term of six years.

[Economy] Paris is the country's economic center with well-developed agriculture, manufacturing and service industries. About half of the country's companies, engineers, senior technicians and researchers are concentrated in Paris. Paris is also the financial center of France. Most banks and insurance companies of the country are based in Paris. Moreover, Paris is the country's transportation center as well as an international transportation hub. It has a mature aviation industry. There are two large international airports in the city.

[Culture and Education] Paris is the center of the country's cultural and educational activities and known for its cultural richness. There are many famous universities, colleges, research institutes, libraries, museums, historical sites and artistic buildings in the city. The city is also a host city of many international events and conferences. The headquarters of UNESCO and the OECD are located in Paris.

[Relations with Beijing] On October 23, 1997, Beijing and Paris established a sister city relationship. On May 26, 2016, they signed the Friendship and Cooperation Agreement between Beijing and Paris. The two cities have engaged in extensive exchanges and cooperation in city management, culture, education, tourism, environmental protection, and other fields. In January 2004, the two cities co-organized Beijing Culture Week in Paris as part of the Chinese Culture Year in France, including a widely-acclaimed parade held on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees. In 2007, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the sisterhood between the two cities, the “Paris through the Eyes of Willy Ronis” photographic exhibition and the “Beijing, My Lovely Home” photographic exhibition were held in Beijing and Paris, respectively. The relationship between the two cities has experienced ups and downs since 2008 but is taking a turn for the better recently.

巴黎市（法国）

【概况】巴黎市是法国首都，位于法国北部巴黎盆地中央，面积105平方公里，人口224万。

【政治】巴黎市是法国唯一同时具有省和市权限的城市，其政体包括市议会和市政府。市议会负责做出一切有关巴黎市和巴黎省的重大决策，如制定年度财政预算、地区税率、政府津贴、通过城市规划草案等。议会由163名议员组成，任期6年。巴黎市市长和副市长由市议会选举产生，市长作为中央政府的代表，负责处理巴黎市的政治、经济、文化、教育和城市规划等方面的问题。现任市长安娜·伊达尔戈于2014年4月就职，2020年7月连任。

【经济】巴黎市是全国经济中心，农业、制造业、服务业发达。全国约一半的企业及工程师、高级技师、科研人员集中在巴黎。巴黎也是法国的金融中心，全国大多数银行总部和保险业公司总部均设在巴黎。巴黎同时是全国交通中心和国际交通枢纽，航空业发达，现有2个大型国际机场。

【文化教育】巴黎市是法国文化、教育事业的中心，世界文化名城，集中了全国很多著名大学、学院、研究机构、图书馆和博物馆。巴黎市拥有许多世界闻名的历史遗迹和艺术建筑。同时，它还是世界会议之都。联合国教科文组织、经济合作与发展组织等总部均设在巴黎。

【两市交往】1997年10月23日，北京市与巴黎市正式建立友好城市关系。2016年5月26日，两市签署《北京市与巴黎市友好合作协议》。自交往以来，两市在市政管理、文化、教育、旅游、环保等领域开展了良好的交流与合作。2004年1月，两市在巴黎共同举办中法文化年北京文化周活动, “北京风情舞动巴黎”香榭丽舍大街盛装行等活动在当地引起轰动。2007年，为庆祝两市结为友好城市10周年，“维利·罗尼眼中的巴黎”摄影展、“北京，我可爱的家”摄影展分别在北京和巴黎举办。两市关系自2008年起经受波折并于后期实现转圜。

（Source: Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal Government）