Nearly 70 legislators from over 50 countries met in north China's Tianjin Municipality this week to discuss local governance, growth, cultural heritage and urban renewal.

The delegation, invited by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, visited several sites in the city.

Tianjin Port, home to the world's first smart zero-carbon terminal, was atop the list. 

5G and Beidou enable unmanned operations across all core processes, and a digital twin platform syncs data in real time. All equipment runs on clean electricity from distributed solar, wind and storage, making it the world's first large container terminal with zero-carbon emissions across its full lifecycle.

"My MPs were saying, back home, we are busy pushing the managing director of the port to employ young people," Moses Wetang'ula, Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, told CGTN. "Here, the port is running seamlessly on technology. It doesn't mean that it's at the expense of jobs. It means that the efficient running, the wealth it generates boosts the economy to create jobs elsewhere and nobody loses."  

He said he hoped Kenya's new port at Lamu could learn from Tianjin. "We will tell our managers to think of visiting and picking some experiences so that when you have this technology of running ports, you eliminate congestion, you eliminate corruption, you eliminate delays, and you end up generating wealth faster and faster for your trading partners, for your nationals, for your country, and for your neighbors who depend on you." 

The legislators also visited sites on grassroots governance and urban development.

The Xiaobailou Grassroots Legislative Contact Point lets residents give their opinions on draft laws, a channel for local voices to feed directly into national lawmaking.

Jinyi Park, an urban renewal project, was once a machine tool factory. Now it holds offices, shops and cultural spaces, feeding into a new economy focused on quality and sustainability.  

The Legislators Forum for Friendly Exchanges was launched in 2023 by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. It aims to strengthen ties among parliamentarians, foster friendship among peoples, safeguard world peace and advance shared development.

(All photos via CGTN)