On December 19th, the Friendship Delegation from Anhui province held the 2023 Anhui Culture and Tourism Promotion event in the U.S. state of Maryland, marking another milestone in China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges.
More than 100 participants attended the event, including Minister Jing Quan from the Chinese Embassy in the United States, Senator Clarence Lam of Maryland, representatives from American business communities, as well as teachers and students from the University of Maryland.
The event showcased the rich cultural fusion between China and the United States through engaging activities such as tea art teaching and interactive sessions. A highlight of the evening was a captivating performance by students from the University of Maryland, who presented a unique blend of Eastern and Western beverage traditions.
Since twinning in 1980, Anhui province and the state of Maryland have maintained a strong sister province/state relationship, being the first pair of such relationships established by Anhui. Sun Yong, Deputy Provincial Governor of the People’s Government of Anhui, emphasized that the friendship between Anhui and Maryland has achieved remarkable results over the past 43 years, fostering a wonderful story of cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States.
Minister Jing expressed that the event aims to further promote people-to-people exchanges and enhance the friendship between China and the United States. He highlighted that this initiative embodies the spirit of the recent China-U.S. leaders’ meeting in San Francisco.
Minister Jing also outlined China’s efforts to facilitate these exchanges through increasing flight connections, simplifying visa application procedures, and steadily advancing tourism, interaction, and communication at various levels.
Senator Clarence Lam of Maryland acknowledged the long history of exchange between Maryland and Anhui, noting the abundant achievements in cooperation. He expressed hope that the event would deepen collaboration between the two regions in areas such as culture, tourism, and education.
Reference(s):
Anhui and Maryland strengthen China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges
cgtn.com
