In a bid to strengthen China-U.S. relations amidst ongoing challenges, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng hailed the vital role of sister provinces and cities in fostering mutual understanding and trust between the two nations.
Speaking via video address at the sixth U.S.-China Sister Cities Summit held in Tacoma on Friday, Ambassador Xie emphasized how these sister relationships act as bridges, nurturing goodwill between the Chinese and American peoples and injecting new vigor into bilateral ties.
“The China-U.S. relationship is still facing grave challenges. We need to pool strength from all to get the relationship better,” Xie stated, urging both sides to seize new opportunities for openness and cooperation, address challenges, and add new dimensions to sister-city relationships.
A Milestone Summit
The summit in Tacoma marked the first national, comprehensive event on China-U.S. subnational exchanges held in the United States in five years. It also coincided with the 10th anniversary of the first China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference and the 30th anniversary of Tacoma’s sister-city relationship with Fuzhou, the capital of east China’s Fujian Province.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979, China and the United States have formed 286 pairs of sister relationships at various levels, playing a significant role in enhancing people-to-people connections.
U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns also sent his congratulations to the summit. “Sister cities’ relationships spur investment, expand exchanges in education and culture, and encourage people to learn more about their counterpart cities through tourism,” Burns said, adding that it was “heartening” to see so many Americans and Chinese gather in Tacoma to reinvigorate and expand people-to-people connections.
Building Bridges of Friendship
Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, highlighted the importance of sister provinces and cities as platforms promoting mutual understanding and friendship. “The city of Tacoma and the State of Washington are symbols of friendship between the people of China and the United States,” Yang remarked at the summit.
Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards echoed this sentiment, stating, “Our sister city relationships allow us to build bridges of friendship and cooperation that transcend borders and bring all of our communities closer together.”
The summit, themed “Shared Visions for a Brighter Future,” brought together over 140 representatives from 14 Chinese provinces and more than 100 representatives from 21 U.S. states. Participants explored shared opportunities, exchanged insights, and addressed common challenges affecting communities in both nations.
“I truly believe that if we can work together to address all the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, we can and we will create a future that is bright and prosperous for every one of our communities,” Mayor Woodards added.
Looking Ahead
Ambassador Xie expressed hope that both sides would conduct more visits, contacts, and exchanges. “Drop by drop, we can thaw the ice of misunderstanding and ultimately form a vast ocean of friendship between the two peoples,” he said.
The summit was co-sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Sister Cities International, a nonprofit organization that serves as the national membership organization for individual sister cities, counties, and states across the United States.
Previous sister cities summits were held in Washington, D.C. (2014), Chicago (2015), Nanchang, China (2016), Houston (2019), and Suzhou, China (2023).
Reference(s):
Sister cities inject vigor into China-U.S. ties, says Chinese envoy
cgtn.com
