Twin cities celebrate 44 years of friendly relations

Musical performances and speeches were among the activities at an event marking 44 years of Beijing and New York City's sister-city relationship at the Chinese Consulate General in New York on Monday.

More than 150 people participated in the event, aimed at enhancing city tourism, cultural exchange and economic cooperation.

"Welcome to New York, it's been waiting for you," lyrics from a song by popular US singer Taylor Swift could be heard at the event. The song has garnered more than a million streams across China's top three music platforms and highlighted New York's status as one of the most popular tourist destinations for Chinese travelers.

Just as New York is a "must-visit "destination in the United States for Chinese tourists, Beijing is likewise an important destination for US tourists visiting China. New York was the first US city to form a sister-city relationship with Beijing.

"Over the years, the two cities have enjoyed close economic cooperation, cultural exchanges and frequent interactions among the people. Together, the two cities have witnessed the development of our state-to-state relations, serving as a model of friendly exchanges," Xia Linmao, executive vice-mayor of Beijing municipality, said.

He also noted previous cooperation and exchanges on music, including the strategic partnership between Beijing's National Center for the Performing Arts and New York's Carnegie Hall.

Those led to the establishment of the World Association for Performing Arts and tourist attractions like Universal Beijing Resort, jointly developed by New York City-based NBC Universal, which has attracted more than 20 million visitors since opening in 2021.

"These relationships between New York City and Beijing are a powerful example of how international cooperation can lead to shared success. Both cities benefit immensely from their collaborative spirit," Edward Mermelstein, commissioner for international affairs of New York City, said.

"Having Beijing and New York as sisters is even more interesting because they're both dynamic and influential in their own ways," Gabby Gabriel, founder and CEO of Gab China, told China Daily.

"One of the things that I think that I love about America and China, what makes us the same is we're both very hardworking. I think that both Americans and Chinese are very interested and committed to trying their best to push, push their goals forward," she said.

Tourism and travel between Beijing and New York are resuming, with 27 direct flights from Beijing to major US cities each week, including five weekly flights from Beijing to New York.