A popular Chinese ballad echoed through the music and drama classroom at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash., Monday night.
The school choir’s performance of On the Fields of Hope was part of an online meeting between the state and southwest China’s Sichuan Province, themed: “40th anniversary of the establishment of friendships”.
Zhang Jianmin, Chinese consul general in San Francisco, attended the meeting and noted that the recent 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed a Chinese path to modernization characterized by common prosperity for all.
China’s new trip will create opportunities for cooperation between Washington state and China, he said. A historic meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden also set the tone to return the relationship to healthy and stable growth, benefiting both countries and the world as a whole, he said.
“I believe local exchanges and cooperation between Sichuan Province and Washington will surely lay a more solid foundation for the development of bilateral relations,” Zhang said.
Officials from Sichuan and Washington State attended the meeting.
Li Yunze, executive vice governor of Sichuan, said Sichuan and Washington state will potentially cooperate on energy and climate. He also said Washington state businesses will always be welcome in Sichuan.
Li also said he looked forward to sending a business delegation to the state next year.
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said his predecessors had visited China 28 times over the past 40 years and he hoped to visit the country in the near future. In addition, he added, Washington State maintains relations with China in 10 Sister Cities and Friendship Cities.
“Moving forward, we need to strengthen our cooperation in culture, trade, education, environmental sustainability, aerospace and tourism,” Hobbs said. “I look forward to welcoming all of you from Sichuan Province and China to visit my office at the State Capitol in Olympia, Washington.”
The state established a friendly relationship with Sichuan in 1982.
In 2015, during a visit to Lincoln High School, President Xi called on young people from both countries to enhance exchanges, enhance friendship and continue contributing to China-US relations.
Washington State Panda Foundation Co-Chair Ron Chow said, “For 40 years of friendly exchanges between Washington State and Sichuan Province…would not be possible without the passion and hard work of citizens and educators to support our youth and student exchanges.
Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards and Dick Muri, Mayor of the Town of Steilacoom, sent a letter to Xi earlier this year, wishing him and the Chinese people a Happy New Year and congratulating them on the success. Beijing Winter Olympics. .
The president replied to the two mayors and thanked them for the letter.
Steilacoom and Dujiangyan, Sichuan, signed a memorandum of understanding in March to establish friendly and cooperative relations. Tacoma and Mianyang, Sichuan have been friendship cities since 2006.
Dujiangyan, home of the Chinese Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center Dujiangyan Base, showed a short film about Baiyun, a 31-year-old female giant panda who lived at the San Diego Zoo from September 1996 to May 2019, and Bao Bao, a female giant panda born at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., in August 2013 and returned to China in February 2017.
The state presented Sichuan with a gift at the end of the event – an image drawn by Lincoln High School students Lily Nop and Devynee Ye.
