US cities seek closer sister ties with China

CHICAGO — Kansas City Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw just returned to Missouri State after attending a sister city conference in China and visiting the Chinese cities of Xi'an, Yan'an and Shanghai.

"I'm very optimistic about China-US relations, especially after my visit to China, definitely excited about the potential opportunities for people-to-people exchanges so we can continue to strengthen the friendship with China," Parks-Shaw said.

Parks-Shaw was speaking on the sidelines of the 7th China General Chamber of Commerce-Chicago Annual Gala held recently in Chicago.

"We have had two sister city agreements with China," she said.

"I'm interested in making sure that the Kansas City and China relationship grows and fosters, because we have two sister cities in China, and so want to support the growth in relationship development."

Kansas City established sister city relationships with Xi'an in 1989 and Yan'an in 2017.

This is the second time for Jim Hovland, mayor of Edina in Minnesota, and Rod Roberson, mayor of Elkhart in Indiana, to attend the gala.

"I think this is one more chance to build global friendships and build sort of that subnational base of people that would be involved in making the world a little bit safer, a little bit more prosperous," Hovland said. "Because of the nature of our two countries, that (China-US relationship) is particularly important in this overall world that we live in."

"I'm going home this time with the notion that we're not sending enough students to China," Hovland said.

Edina has a Chinese school that functions primarily on weekends. Hovland is considering having a full-time immersion school teaching the Chinese language.

Elkhart, a city about 180 kilometers east of Chicago in the US Midwestern state of Indiana, is known for its recreational vehicle manufacturing, as well as being the "musical instrument capital" of the United States.

Elkhart means the quality of place and quality of life. "What we're doing there is that we are creating a relationship around music and arts that we want to evolve as a part of our community. I believe that we have a very fertile area to attract talent and skills," Roberson said.

'On a friendly basis'

"It's a very big world out there, and there's plenty of room for two prosperous countries to compete with each other on a friendly basis," Hovland said. "I don't like the animosity building at the national level that's occurring. I think it's not healthy for anybody. I like the opportunities that present themselves.

"These two great countries have obligations not only to themselves and each other, but to the rest of the world."

Roberson is also optimistic about the China-US relationship. "That's the relationship that's gonna drive our governmental officials, whether they're state or federal, to create the kind of policies that are demanded by the people that live in these local communities," he said.

Xinhua