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Xinhua News Agency BeijingSeptember 24Theme: "Building a Wider and Stronger Bridge of People-to-People Friendship between China and the United States" - Local Cooperation Helps the China-US Relationship Proceed Steadily and Far-Reaching.

Ultimately, relations between countries require the support of the people and serve the people. Localities are the closest to the common people. The success of local cooperation determines whether cooperation at the national level can take root and bear fruit. For this reason, I have always attached great importance to Sino-US local cooperation. President Xi Jinping's important remarks on Sino-US local cooperation are not only a profound summary of the historical experience of Sino-US exchanges, but also carry a heartfelt expectation for the two peoples to join hands in creating a beautiful future.

Since this year, from the follow-up of the Local Cooperation Forum to the practical promotion of provincial and prefectural economic and trade negotiations, from the continuous exchanges of reciprocal visits between Youcheng, to the vibrant youth cultural exchanges, the practical cooperation at the local level between China and the United States has continued to deepen, injecting an inexhaustible source of resilience into the development of bilateral relations.

Head of State Diplomacy Anchors Direction for Local Cooperation

"I have worked in local areas for a long time, deeply understanding the heavy responsibilities and the difficulties of local leadership, and I am also well aware of the important role that local cooperation plays in developing national relations." President Xi Jinping has a firsthand experience of the importance of local cooperation, and has personally participated in and continuously promoted the development of local friendship between China and the United States.

In the 1980s, when he was the Secretary of the Hebei Zhengding County Party Committee, Xi Jinping visited Iowa, USA, planting the seeds for friendly exchanges between Hebei Province and Iowa; during his time working in Fujian, Xi Jinping actively promoted friendly exchanges between Fuzhou and Tacoma, USA. These all became precious memories of local exchanges between China and the United States.

In 2013, under the personal care and promotion of President Xi Jinping, the first China-US inter-provincial working group, the "Joint Working Group for Trade and Investment Cooperation between China's Provinces and the US State of California," was officially established. In October 2023, President Xi Jinping pointed out during his meeting with California Governor Gavin Newsom that the foundation of China-US relations lies in the people, hoping that the future will be built on the people, the vitality will be in the youth, and the energy will be in the local level. In November of the same year, President Xi Jinping sent a letter to the 5th China-US Friendship Cities Conference, emphasizing the hope that "all participating parties will continue to act as bridges for local exchanges between China and the United States."

This yearIn May, President Xi Jinping held a meeting with U.S. President Trump in Beijing, jointly establishing a new positioning for building a constructive strategic stable relationship between China and the United States, providing strategic guidance for the next phase of China-U.S. relations, and receiving welcome from the peoples of both countries and the international community.

"The fruits of China-US local cooperation are abundant, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries. New cooperation platforms and models are constantly emerging, such as the China-California Economic and Trade Forum, the China-US Bay Area Dialogue, the China-US Agricultural Roundtable Forum, and the Yangtze-Mississippi River Basin Dialogue. Issues such as urban governance, climate change, and artificial intelligence are not only common challenges facing humanity but also a vast 'blue ocean' for China-US local cooperation," said Xie Feng, the Chinese Ambassador to the United States.

Trade and economic exchanges lay a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation.

Since this year, a series of local exchanges between China and the United States have been continuously implemented.In April, Shanghai and San Francisco signed a new round of cooperation and exchange memorandums; in June, the 8th China-US Friendship Cities Conference was held in San Francisco, and the China-US local cooperation dialogue was held in Zhengzhou; in September, the China-US provincial and prefectural investment, trade, and cooperation exchange activities were held during the Xiamen Investment and Trade Fair...

On the morning of September 9, at the site of the China-US provincial and state investment, trade, and cooperation exchange activities, relevant officials from the Ministry of Commerce shared a set of data: as of July this year, the cumulative number of foreign-invested enterprises established by the United States in China has exceeded 84,000; in the first half of this year, US corporate investment in China grew by 7.8% year-on-year; reports from relevant chambers of commerce show that over 95% of surveyed US enterprises believe that their business in China is crucial for maintaining their global competitiveness, and nearly 60% of US companies plan to increase their investment in China.

"Most American companies are optimistic and confident about the Chinese market." Tan Sen, President of the U.S.-China Business Council, said that in the early stages of China's reform and opening up, American companies leveraged China's labor advantages to establish global-facing manufacturing bases in Xiamen and Dongguan. With the process of China's opening up, the focus of American investment in China has shifted to research and development and supply chain construction, and many American companies are actively seeking Chinese partners to explore cooperation opportunities.

Local pragmatic cooperation is a vivid reflection of the win-win essence of China-US relations. China is already the USThe top trading partners of 9 states, and the top three export markets for over 30 states. Many Chinese companies investing in the US are taking root in local communities, contributing to local tax revenue and creating a large number of jobs.

"Oregon has long maintained a strong and stable trade relationship with China. Our trade relationship with China is of vital importance to us, just as it is to many other states," said Michael Dambro, Honorary Chairman of the Oregon-China Council and former state senator. "We must build a foundation of cooperation that will stand the test of time at the local level, and we look forward to both sides continuing to work together for the benefit of the people and future generations of both countries."

Humanistic interaction gathers strength to build mutual understanding and trust.

"My visit to the United States at the invitation of President Trump is to carry on the friendship, to expand cooperation, and to enhance the well-being of the peoples of both countries." On the morning of September 24 local time, President Xi Jinping announced during his speech at the welcome ceremony at the White House, "Over the next five years, China will invite 100,000 American youth to come to China for exchange and study."

Looking back at the history of exchanges between China and the United States, from the romance at Guling,From the heroic deeds of the "Flying Tigers" to the ice-breaking of "ping-pong diplomacy," Sino-US friendship has always been rooted in the people and passed down through generations. Today, the two countries have established 288 pairs of friendly provinces, states, and cities, and President Xi Jinping's initiative to "invite 50,000 American youth to China for exchange and study over five years" has achieved its expected goals ahead of schedule.

This fully proves that: the foundation of China-US relations is laid by the people, the door is opened by the people, the story is written by the people, and the future is created by the people.

From Maryland youth coming to China for pickleball exchanges, to the Shenzhen youth pickleball delegation being invited for a follow-up visit; from Chinese ballet dancers traveling to the US for performances that received a warm reception, to a Utah children's choir singing "As I Wish" at the Temple of Heaven; from theThe Ginkgo Tree of Sino-US Friendship is adorned with the beautiful wishes of young people. From the Washington State Youth Delegation immersing themselves in the millennial civilizations of Sanxingdui and Dujiangyan in Sichuan, to young teachers and students from Richmond, USA, visiting Zhengzhou to explore the civilization of the Shang capital and the pulse of a modern city, to the trending hashtag "Becoming Chinese" and the viral phenomenon of "Extreme Sinicization"... a series of local and grassroots exchange activities have allowed more and more American youth to see a real, three-dimensional, and warm China, continuously deepening the public opinion foundation for Sino-US friendship.

The state visits between the leaders of China and the United States within a short period of half a year are historic and milestone events, and they also provide direction and strategic guidance for China-US people-to-people diplomacy. Yang Wanming, President of the China-US Friendship Association, stated, "We will strive to translate the achievements of President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States into practical actions, promoting more friendly cities and youth exchanges, and cultural exchanges, allowing the 'friendship between nations' to be deeply rooted in the 'friendship between peoples', and accumulating an endless source of momentum for building a constructive strategic stable relationship between China and the United States."