Ambassador Xie Feng delivered remarks at the opening ceremony of the sixth China-U.S. Sister Cities Summit

On July 19, 2024, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng delivered remarks at the opening ceremony of the sixth China-U.S. Sister Cities Summit via video link, extending congratulations on the successful convening of the summit.

In his remarks, Ambassador Xie said that over the past 45 years, more and more sister-city relationships have been developed, and the bonds of friendship further strengthened. Today, we have 286 pairs of sister provinces/states and sister cities. Serving as bridges for mutual understanding and trust, they have nurtured goodwill between the two peoples, and injected vigor into China-U.S. relations. At present, the China-U.S. relationship is still facing grave challenges. We need to pool strength from all to get the relationship better. As China and the United States celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, it is hoped that all participants will continue participating in and supporting sister-city cooperation, and make greater contribution to turning the San Francisco vision into reality and ensuring the stable, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.

Ambassador Xie shared three proposals for boosting China-U.S. subnational cooperation. First, it is important to seize new opportunities for openness and cooperation. Ambassador Xie encouraged all the participants to seize the historical opportunities unleashed by China’s openness and development, tap the huge potential of China-U.S. subnational cooperation based on complementarity, and promote common development for the well-being of the two peoples. Second, it is important to address new challenges facing subnational exchanges. He encouraged the two sides to conduct more visits, contacts and exchanges, so that drop by drop, they can thaw the ice of misunderstanding, and ultimately form a vast ocean of friendship between the two peoples. Third, it is important to add new dimensions to sister-city relationships. It is hoped that the sister cities will further enrich their cooperation in more forms further so as to expand and grow sister-city relationships. Ambassador Xie expressed his hope that sister-city relationships will continue to be a fountain of strength giving strong and sustained impetus to the broader bilateral relationship, so as to keep it surging forward.

The sixth China-US Sister Cities Summit, themed as “Same Vision, Better Future”, was co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Sister Cities International (SCI) of the United States in Tacoma, Washington. CPAFFC President Yang Wanming, SCI Chair Carlo Capua, Consul-General of China in San Francisco Zhang Jianmin, and Mayor of Tacoma Victoria Woodards attended the opening ceremony. U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, U.S. Representative for Washington Derek Kilmer and others sent congratulatory letters. Delegates from 14 provinces and cities in China and sheriffs and mayors from 21 U.S. states as well as representatives from other communities of both countries attended the summit and its side events.

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