On October 22, 2025, President Yang Wanming of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met with Senator Stephen Jeff Wilson, Representative Chris Corry, and Representative John Ley of Washington State, the U.S., at the CPAFFC.
President Yang Wanming fondly recalled his two visits to Washington State in recent years, noting that the state has deep historical ties with China and has consistently prioritized developing strong relations with China. Cultural exchanges between two sides have become increasingly frequent, and economic and trade cooperation has steadily deepened. In July of last year, the 6th China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference was successfully held in Tacoma, Washington, with remarkable results. President Yang emphasized that subnational exchanges and cooperation are an essential component of China-U.S. relations, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. Although China-U.S. relations are currently facing some challenges, President Yang stressed that, in the long term, cooperation will remain the central theme of bilateral ties. He expressed his hope that the visit of the Washington State legislators' delegation would help the state continue to lead in subnational exchanges with China and further strengthen cooperation with Chinese provinces and cities in areas such as economy and trade, education, culture, youth, and sports, thereby bringing real benefits to the two peoples.
Senator Stephen Jeff Wilson and his delegation expressed their gratitude to the CPAFFC for the warm reception. They stated that the Washington State attaches great importance to cooperation with China and looks forward to establishing more sister-city relationships with Chinese provinces and cities. They commended China's remarkable achievements in economic development and environmental governance in recent years. The delegation emphasized that the common interests between the U.S. and China far outweigh differences, and that the two countries should enhance exchanges, learn from each other, and make progress together. Regardless of how the broader China-U.S. relationship evolves, Washington State's commitment to fostering friendly relations with China will remain unwavering. The delegation expressed their readiness to collaborate with China in strengthening economic and trade exchanges, cultural exchanges, and youth friendships.
Shen Xin, Vice President of the CPAFFC and Sun Tao, Director-General of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs of the CPAFFC, were present at the meeting.
