The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC) and the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF) co-hosted the 1st China-U.S.Sub-national Legislatures Cooperation Forum in Honolulu, Hawaii of the U.S.A from June 24 to 26, 2016.
About 150 people, including CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin, Vice Chairman Shi Heping of the Standing Committee of Jiangsu Provincial People’s Congress, Vice Chairperson Ma Lancui of the Standing Committee of Hebei Provincial People’s Congress,Vice Chairman Wang Jianming of the Standing Committee of Hubei Provincial People’s Congress, Vice Chairman Liu Daoping of the Standing Committee of Sichuan Provincial People’s Congress, President Stephen Lakis of SLLF, 28 state legislative leaders from 21 states, and representatives from governments, universities, and business communities, attended this Forum. This year marks the China-U.S. Tourism Year. With the theme of tourism cooperation, the two sides carried out in-depth discuss on three topics including the “State and Provincial Governments’ Role in Promoting Tourism”, “China and the U.S.-Forging Partnerships Between Provinces and Cities”, “Creating a Business Friendly Environment”. During the Forum, Hawaii Governor David Ige hosted a welcome dinner for the conference attendees.
Madam Li Xiaolin said that China-U.S. relationship owes its continuous development to sub-national cooperation. State legislative leaders and provincial congressional leaders are pioneering, managing and contributing to the social-economic development of their own states or provinces. They are also participating in, spearheading and actively promoting China-U.S. sub-national cooperation. CPAFFC is willing to work with SLLF and the state legislative leaders, making full use of the existing China-U.S. Sub-national Exchange Mechanism, further expanding and innovating cooperation between sub-national legislatures, bring tangible benefits to both the two countries and their people.
Leaders from the four provincial people’s congress at this conference said that, the system of people’s congress is the fundamental political system of China. The provincial people’s congresses and their standing committees are important components of this system, and just as the U.S. state legislatures, they play an important role in the nation’s social and political activities. Enhancing cooperation and personnel exchanges at the sub-national legislature level, will help to build political mutual trust, promote practical cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and friendship.
Stephen Lakis, president of SLLF said that U.S. states and Chinese provinces play the adhesive and catalytic role in the U.S.-China relations. The sub-national legislative leaders of the two countries will leverage their political wisdom and capability to solve the common problems faced by both sides and the world. They have a great sense of responsibility to create a more secure and happy life for future generations.
The U.S. state legislative leaders vowed to actively promote their individual state legislature’s cooperation with Chinese counterparts, to guide their state governments in strengthening cooperation with China in areas of economy and trade, people-to-people exchanges, education and tourism, to assign special department in communicating with Chinese provinces, so as to form a long-term practical cooperation mechanism.
The Forum reached a great success. Hubei Province and Sichuan Province signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the Standing Committees of their Provincial People’s Congress, with Ohio House of Representatives, and the Wisconsin State Assembly respectively. Jiangsu Provincial Tourism Administration and Hawaii Tourism Authority signed the Tourism Cooperation Agreement. Nanjing Municipal Tourism Commission and Preferred Hospitality Group signed the Promotion of Nanjing as a Tourist Destination in the Market of North America. At the closing ceremony of the Forum, Madam Li Xiaolin announced that next year’s Forum will be held in Wuhan, Hubei province.
To establish the China-U.S. Sub-national Legislature Cooperation Forum is an important outcome of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the U.S. in September 2015.
