The forum was set up in 2012 and has 38 member cities including London, New York, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Representatives from member cities of the World Cities Culture Forum attend the 2018 World Cities Culture (Tianfu) Symposium, which focused on cultural exchanges under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
It has taken the lead in promoting cultural development and policymaking among cities worldwide, and is considered the world's top cultural think tank in this area.
This year's event was the first time for it to focus on cultural exchanges and cooperation, opening-up and sharing under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. In August 2017, Chengdu became the third city in the Chinese mainland to join the forum. Its hosting of the conference came in less than a year since its membership.
Paul Owens, secretary-general of the event's organizing committee, said that holding the symposium in Chengdu was in line with the world's greater desire to learn more about China's city culture and Chinese culture in general.
Owens said he really enjoyed the atmosphere of Chengdu and that the local people are friendly and warmhearted. The city has a massive population and boasts strong economic strength.
"Its openness, inclusiveness and convenience are the key reasons Chengdu has become a world-class cultural city," he added.
During the symposium, member cities of the forum released the "Chengdu Consensus", in which they highlighted Chengdu's efforts in promoting its culture, exchanges and cooperation with city cultures around the world.
A cooperation agreement was also signed between Chengdu Media Group and members of the forum, with the aim of developing Chengdu into a hub for cultural exchanges in line with core values of the Belt and Road Initiative, deepening cooperation in fields of culture and technology, fashion and design, arts and music, tourism and exhibition, as well as sports and food.
The event's organizing committee released its first-ever research report on the cultural development of cities involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. The report said Chengdu will build itself into an international metropolis with an economy that will rival the world's most historic cities within a decade.
The city is also helping to achieve China's globalization goals, creating global innovative businesses and contributing to world development through internationalization, the report said.
Conor Roche, director of BOP Consulting in China, said a main reason that Chengdu was highlighted in the report was because of its robust growth in cultural and creative industries which feature a unique identity and ample protection, as well as its rich cultural relics.
With a civilization that can be traced back 4,500 years, Chengdu was among the first batch listed as famous historical and cultural cities in China and is also one of China's top 10 ancient cities, according to many reports.
In early June, The city announced its latest goals: To become a world city renowned for its creative culture, tourism and sports, as well as a famous place for its food, music and event hosting.