The meeting, held at Phuket Provincial Hall, aimed to explore new opportunities for collaboration in tourism, trade and investment, said an official report of the meeting.
Phuket and Zhanjiang, both thriving coastal economies, have been sister cities since signing an agreement in 2016.
During the discussions, Governor Sophon highlighted Phuket’s active role in the International Island Tourism Cities Network (ITOP Forum) and extended an invitation for Zhanjiang to join the network, a move that could be facilitated through Jeju City, the network’s Secretariat.
Zhanjiang, located on a peninsula at the southern end of Guangdong Province, is home to many islands popular for domestic Chinese tourism.
In turn, Mr Li invited Phuket officials to visit Zhanjiang City to deepen economic, trade and cultural exchanges.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to developing joint projects, emphasising the strong relationship the two ‘sister cites’ have built over the years.
“This meeting represents an important step in strengthening our partnership and creating new avenues for cooperation,” said Governor Sophon.