From October 25, 2025 to October 27, 2025, the 7th China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference, co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Under the theme "Closer Cooperation for a Sustainable Future", the conference brought together over 180 participants from 36 counties and cities across 28 U.S. states, as well as over 140 representatives from 26 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. It was the largest and highest-level subnational exchange event between China and the United States in recent years. Liu Jie, Governor of Zhejiang Province; Yang Wanming, President of the CPAFFC; Carol Robert López, Honorary Chair of Sister Cities International (SCI); Rob Wagner, President of the Oregon State Senate; Marc Elrich, Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland; and Victoria Woodards, Mayor of Tacoma, Washington, attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. Ambassador Xie Feng, China's Ambassador to the United States, delivered video remarks, while the Secretary of State of Maryland, and the mayors of Denver (Colorado), Honolulu (Hawaii), and Sacramento (California) sent congratulatory letters. Yao Gaoyuan, Mayor of Hangzhou, presided over the opening ceremony.
In his remarks, President Yang Wanming stated that China has always followed the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation in building a stable, sound, and sustainable China-U.S. relationship. These principles form the right path for the two countries to engage with each other and serve as a guiding framework for sister-city exchanges and cooperation. He emphasized that when bilateral relations face difficult times, it is even more important for sister cities to strengthen communication, build trust, and advance cooperation. President Yang called for joint efforts to safeguard sister-city ties and build bridges of understanding based on mutual respect; to enhance exchanges between sister cities and build strong foundations for peaceful coexistence; and to promote practical cooperation to foster a steady current of goodwill and shared benefit. He reaffirmed that the CPAFFC will continue to leverage the conference mechanism to deepen people-to-people contacts, advance practical cooperation, and strengthen cultural exchanges and youth friendship, contributing to the enduring and steady growth of China-U.S. relations.
Governor Liu Jie of Zhejiang Province, on behalf of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, extended a warm welcome to all distinguished guests. He noted that people-to-people exchanges between Zhejiang and the United States have remained vigorous over the years. Economic and trade cooperation has been mutually beneficial, sister-city partnerships dynamic, cultural exchange flourishing, and practical cooperation across various fields has yielded fruitful results. He said Zhejiang hopes to take this conference as an opportunity to further strengthen dialogue and cooperation with all sectors in the United States, share development opportunities, enhance scientific and technological collaboration, and promote mutual learning among civilizations—thus contributing to the sound and steady growth of China-U.S. relations.
Ambassador Xie Feng stressed that, as President Xi Jinping has pointed out, "the hope of China-U.S. relations lies in the people, its foundation lies in people-to-people ties, its future lies in the youth, and its vitality lies in subnational engagement". He said that sister-city and sister-state partnerships serve as key platforms embodying these four dimensions. He expressed hope that the conference would deepen mutual understanding and affinity, foster greater public support for friendship between China and the United States, and—with the warmth and energy of people-to-people connections—bridge divides and dispel the "chilling effect". He urged efforts to strengthen foundations and improve the overall relationship through subnational "micro-circulation" that enhances the broader "macro environment" of bilateral ties. He also called for a focus on practical cooperation to build a sustainable future for China-U.S. relations and achieve shared prosperity through mutual success.
Carol Robert López remarked that sister-city relations are a solid bridge connecting the United States and China. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the U.S.-China sister-city network has transformed goodwill into concrete action, providing a valuable platform for sharing experiences, strengthening friendship, and promoting cooperation—thereby adding stability to the development of bilateral relations. She expressed her hope that U.S.-China sister cities would continue to expand cooperation and create a brighter, more sustainable future for the two peoples.
Rob Wagner noted that the Oregon State Legislature was the first in the United States to formally endorse the development of friendly sister-state relations with China through legislation. Oregon has long maintained close ties with Fujian Province and Tianjin Municipality and is proud to stand at the forefront of subnational cooperation with China. He said Oregon will continue to work with Chinese provinces and cities to expand mutually beneficial collaboration in clean energy, agriculture, healthcare, and other fields.
Marc Elrich stated that sister-city relations promote cultural and educational exchanges, drive economic growth, and enhance the well-being of both peoples, thus building mutual trust and peace. Montgomery County will deepen its ties with Xi'an and other Chinese sister cities, demonstrating the power of subnational cooperation and working together to create progress, prosperity, and peace for future generations.
Victoria Woodards said that Tacoma values its partnership with China, and its cooperation with cities such as Fuzhou has yielded fruitful results—proving that "a city's vitality lies not only in economic figures but also in its ability to build connections and grow together". She expressed Tacoma's commitment to building bridges of communication and sharing prosperity through continued exchange with Chinese partners.
Following the opening ceremony, four parallel sessions were held on educational exchange, innovation and city development, and sustainable development. Participants held in-depth discussions and shared best practices and success stories in China-U.S. sister-city cooperation. At the closing ceremony, representatives of the two countries signed nine cooperation agreements covering sister-city partnerships, education, and economic and trade collaboration. Vice President Shen Xin of the CPAFFC presented the "Friendship Ambassador" medal and certificate to Carol Robert Lopez and announced the Hangzhou Consensus. The consensus acknowledged the positive role of China-U.S. sister-city relations in deepening mutual understanding and improving people's well-being, and called on visionary individuals in two countries to actively support and participate in sister-city cooperation amid challenges—further expanding collaboration in culture, education, and youth exchange and jointly contributing to the stable, sound, and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations. The closing ceremony was chaired by Lu Xiaguang, Member of the Leading Party Members' Group of the Hangzhou Municipal Government, while Huang Ping, Vice President of the China-U.S. Friendship Association, presided over the "Outstanding Case Sharing" parallel session.
On the evening of October 26, 2025, Liu Fei, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee, hosted a welcome banquet for the delegates. Lu Shan, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, was present at the event.
During their stay in Hangzhou, delegates also visited local enterprises and educational and cultural institutions, experienced Zhejiang's rich cultural heritage, and explored prospects for future collaboration between Chinese and American cities.
