On July 8 local time in Seychelles, Chengdu and Victoria held the signing ceremony for the agreement on the establishment of friendship city relations. During the ceremony, Chengdu gifted Victoria a painted giant panda statue as a testament to the bilateral friendship between the two cities. Victoria has become Chengdu’s 39th international friendship city, bringing the total number of international friendship cities and friendly cooperative cities Chengdu has currently established relations with at the municipal level to 114.

 

 

Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, serves as the nation’s political and economic center. Located on the northeastern coast of Mahé, the largest island in the Seychelles Archipelago, the city primarily depends on tourism and fishery for economic development.

 

 

Since 2024, the bilateral visits between Chengdu and Victoria, as well as other cities across Seychelles, have increased, including a high-level visit to Chengdu by Seychellois delegation led by President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan and three Seychellois ministers. Chengdu and Seychelles have organized over 10 exchange events, actively engaging and achieving notable outcomes in direct flights, economy and trade, cultural tourism, and other areas. In November 2024, Chengdu Culture & Tourism Development Group, in collaboration with Sichuan Airlines, initiated trial operations of two direct charter flights between Chengdu and Seychelles for cultural tourism purposes.

 

 

Seychelles attaches great importance to enhancing the friendly relations with Chengdu and holds high expectations for friendly engagement between the two cities. The establishment of the friendship city relations between Chengdu and Victoria has garnered extensive coverage and positive comments from mainstream Seychellois media, including Today in Seychelles, Seychelles Nation, and Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation.

 

 

In March 2025, two journalists from Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation embarked on a cultural exploration in Chengdu at the invitation of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Republic of Seychelles to thoroughly capture the multifaceted charm of Chengdu as “A Park City Blessed with Snow Mountains, Brimming with Happiness, and Booming with Innovation”. They produced a special report titled Dekouver Chengdu (“Discover Chengdu”), which was aired on Seychelles’ national television channel (Through the Lens: A Multifaceted Rhapsody of Chengdu through the Eyes of Seychellois Journalists). Later this month, Seychelles National Choir will visit Chengdu to participate in 2025 Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival and foster exchanges and mutual appreciation of music and culture between Chengdu and Seychelles.

 

Edited by Zhang Yuanlin

Source:Chengdu Discovery