Hailed as the "Pearl on the Tropic of Cancer", Guangzhou is a hub connecting the Chinese mainland with the rest of the world. The city maintains trade links with more than 220 countries and regions around the globe. Guangzhou's Baiyun International Airport services 136 shipping routes across five continents on a daily basis. Guangzhou Port has opened 150 container shipment routes, trading with over 400 ports in more than 100 countries and regions worldwide, making the city a veritable beacon of open market trade on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
By January 2026, there are 70 foreign consulates general in Guangzhou. Guangzhou has forged friendship-city ties with 38 cities all around the world: Fukuoka (Japan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (the Philippines), Vancouver (Canada), Sydney (Australia), Bari (Italy), Lyon (France), Frankfurt (Germany), Auckland (New Zealand), Gwangju (Republic of Korea), Linkoping (Sweden), Durban (South Africa), Bristol (Britain), Yekaterinburg (Russia), Arequipa (Peru), Surabaya (Indonesia), Vilnius (Lithuania), Birmingham (Britain), Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Recife (Brazil), Tampere (Finland), Bangkok (Thailand), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Kazan (Russia), Istanbul (Turkey), Harare (Zimbabwe), San Jose (Costa Rica), Noboribetsu (Japan), Valencia (Spain), Rabat (Morocco), Lodz (Poland), Ahmedabad (India), Pokhara (Nepal), Quito (Ecuador), Santiago (Chile), Mombasa County (Kenya), and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
