On September 23, the 2024 China Global Geoparks Annual Conference and the 20th Anniversary Symposium of the Global Geoparks Network was held in Xingyi City, Guizhou Province. The annual meeting was hosted by the Chinese Academy of Geosciences, the National Geoparks Network Center, the Global Geopark Network Office, the Guizhou Provincial Forestry Bureau, and the People's Government of Qianxinan Prefecture, and undertaken by the Xingyi Municipal People's Government, the Forestry Bureau of Qianxinan Prefecture, and the Xingyi Global Geopark. More than 150 guests attended the meeting, including relevant leaders of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, representatives of the geoparks authorities of the relevant provincial forestry (and grassland) bureaus, the National Geoparks Network Center and representatives of the global geoparks. Representatives of Tianzhushan UGGp attended the meeting.

At the meeting, Wang Zhigao, chief economist of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, delivered a speech; Yan Chenggao, a first-level inspector of the Nature Reserve Management Department of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, attended the meeting; Wei Yanguang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Geosciences, and Director of the National Geopark Network Center, presided over the meeting; He Qingcheng, Executive Deputy Director of the National Geoparks Network Center, gave a report; Hu Hongcheng, Secretary of the Party Group and Director of the Guizhou Provincial Forestry Bureau, and Chen Changxu, Secretary of Guizhou Provincial Party Committee, attended the meeting and delivered speeches respectively. UNESCO representatives Shahbaz Khan and Kristof, and former President of the Global Geoparks Council Guy Martin congratulated the opening of the meeting through video messages.

The conference also held a roundtable interview on the "Twenty Years of Development, the Diverse Values and Global Impact of China's Global Geoparks", in which the guests made speeches on the topics of geoheritage utilization and protection, geodiversity and biodiversity, and the organizer read out the "Xingyi Declaration on the 20th Anniversary of the Development and Management of China's Global Geoparks".

This annual meeting was well received by the participants and it provided a communication platform. Geoparks shared with each other, learnt from each other's advanced experience and scientific practices, shortened the distance, enhanced friendship, and further promoted the development of global geoparks.