Zurich's city partnership with Kunming is the oldest and most enduring partnership between a Chinese and a foreign city. In China, the partnership, which has existed since 1982, enjoys a high reputation, and the Confederation also recognizes the importance of these privileged relations. In view of Kunming's growing economic importance in the course of the Belt and Road Initiative, economic networking between the two cities is also of interest to Zurich's companies.

What began as a cultural exchange has gradually developed into technical cooperation, primarily in the areas of drinking water and wastewater disposal. This was followed by projects in the field of regional and transport planning as well as monument protection. The results of this cooperation are, for example, the improved drinking water supply or the optimization of public transport in Kunming. The solutions that have always been developed in accordance with sustainable principles have now become a model in the People's Republic of China. In the cultural sector, a regular exchange of artists between Kunming and Zurich took place from 2008 to 2019.

With its goal of a 2000-watt society, the city of Zurich has a great interest in continuing innovative solutions in the field of sustainable urban development. As the world's most populous country, China is now the world's largest producer of CO₂. At the same time, it is one of the countries that invest a lot in renewable energies such as wind, hydropower or solar power. In 2017, the technical cooperation established within the framework of the city partnership was integrated into the bi-national programme "Sino-Swiss Low Carbon Cities" (SSLCC). This programme aims to reduce_CO2 emissions in Chinese cities and is part of the "Innovative Strategic Partnership" between Switzerland and China. The conclusion of the cooperation within the framework of SSLCC was a conference in Kunming, which was jointly held in 2019 by the Swiss Embassy in Beijing, the cities of Zurich and Kunming as well as the other SSLCC partner cities Chengdu and Guangzhou.

Currently, the priorities for the city partnership Kunming – Zurich are being redefined for the future.