Decadeslong ties between Fuzhou, Tacoma yield rich dividends

A dragon boat team from Tacoma participates in a dragon boat race in Fuzhou, on June 7, 2016. CHINA DAILY

Fuzhou and Tacoma's decadeslong sister-city relationship has yielded fruitful results, exemplifying a strong bond between the people of China and the United States, said Wu Xiande, the mayor of Fuzhou, expressing hope for continued deepening of mutual understanding and friendship.

The tale of friendship between Fuzhou and Tacoma began with the efforts of the Chinese city's then Party Secretary Xi Jinping, Wu told China Daily.

In late 1993, Xi, then secretary of the Communist Party of China Fuzhou Municipal Committee, visited Tacoma, advocating for the establishment of a sister-city relationship between Fuzhou and Tacoma.

This vision materialized in November 1994, when the signing ceremony of the sister-city relationship agreement between Fuzhou and Tacoma took place in Fuzhou, initiating a new era in their sister-city exchanges.

Since 1994, economic, trade, and people-to-people exchanges, notably youth interactions between the two cities, have flourished, bolstering mutual understanding and friendship among their people.

"Youth exchanges between China and the US are crucial for bilateral relations. We have been actively fostering sister-school relationships between schools in Fuzhou, like the Affiliated High School of Fuzhou Institute of Education, and schools in Tacoma," said Wu.

"We have conducted extensive educational collaboration in teaching, and student visits, and we use this bond to promote friendly exchanges among young people in both cities."

"I believe that through these friendly exchanges, Chinese and American youth can enhance mutual understanding and recognition by engaging in dialogue, respecting each other's cultural differences, and injecting new energy into the development of Sino-US relations," Wu said.

Wu highlighted that economic and trade cooperation serves as the cornerstone of sister-city relationships. Fuzhou and Tacoma have recently organized many successful online matchmaking events, fostering mutually beneficial development.