County Executive Ike Leggett took a 10-day, 4-city trip to China aimed at advancing Chinese jobs and investment in the County and opening doors for County businesses there, as well as establishing a “Sister City” relationship with the city of Xi’an, with eight million residents and home to the famous Terra Cotta Army. In Xi’an, the ancient capital of 13 Chinese dynasties with over 3,000 years of civilization includes a High-Tech Industries Development Zone covering nearly 120 square miles with 16,800 companies, including a recent $7 billion Samsung microchip plant. Just some highlights of business development activities include: • Four business roundtables in Shanghai, Xi’an and Benxi with companies and economic development leaders on both sides introducing opportunities and forging new partnerships; • Visits to China’s established and emerging biotech hubs—the Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park in Pudong (Shanghai) and the Zhongguancun Hi-tech Park as well as the emerging hubs such as the Peptide Valley in Gu’an County of Hebei Province and the China Medicine Capital in Benxi (Liaoning Province). The Spanish city was the first to establish a sister city relationship with Kansas City in 1967. 2.1 Langkawi; 3 Kelantan. The complete list of Istabul's sister cities is as follows (in alphabetical order): Almaty - Kazakhstan (1998) Amman - Jordan (1997) Bangkok - Thailand (2009) Sister cities or twin towns are a form of legal or social agreement between towns, cities, counties, oblasts, prefectures, provinces, regions, states, and even countries in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties. Sister-cities are formed with the signing of agreements between cities of two countries to promote the cultural and commercial relationship. The Montgomery County leadership is to be congratulated for recognizing the value of enhancing these connections, seizing opportunities for additional cooperation and enhancing the critical role of business and personal exchange across the Pacific.”. stacks of corn drying after the harvest in the countryside outside of xi'an: a fruitstand at the beijing airport: downtown xi'an with the colonel standing guard. Xi’an has 102 institutions of higher education. A sister city, county, or state relationship is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. Some cities also have different levels of partnership. For a tiny investment, we have made a significant impact.”. Content on this page is licensed under CC-BY-SA from the authors of the following Wikipedia pages: List of twin towns and sister cities in China, Xi'an. Isfahan as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and Iran’s cultural hub signed her first sister city agreement on May 7, 1989 with the city of Xi’an in china. 2009-2017. It is now one of the most populous built-up areas in inland China with 7,168,005 inhabitants, including urban parts of Xianyang (Weicheng and Qindu districts). They are an important component of Chinese diplomacy. Spanning the globe, each affiliation presents a distinct opportunity for exchanging awareness and interest in many areas, even in the world of sport. The report pinpoints and highlights the demographic and income trends that are shaping these cities' development. 1 Johor. . Kansas City, Mo - infoZine - The City of Kansas City, Mo., will mark its 20-year Sister Cities partnership with Xi'an, China with a celebration from July 12-14. US President D. Eisenhower is claimed to be the first to introduce the concept of sister-city. KANSAS CITY, September, 2013 – From Arusha, Tanzania, to Xi’an, China, 13 sister-city relationships serve an integral role in Kansas City’s cultural and economic advancement. XI'AN, China, April 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 10, a special video conference took place in the ancient city of Xi'an in northwest China, according to Xi'an Municipal Government. Xi'an is known as one of the academic centers in China. An initial and immediate result was the commitment from Beijing-based China Fortune Land Development (CFLD) to make a significant financial investment into the Rockville-based public-private partnership, BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), established by Leggett. My big take away is that our strong Chinese American community is a great strategic asset for Montgomery County.”, “The world has come to Montgomery County and now Montgomery County is going global,” said Mission lead organizer Lily Qi. “I am enthusiastic to work in partnership with CFLD and Chairman Wang’s team to implement two new important programs that will further develop the Montgomery County innovation ecosystem. “I appreciated the opportunity to be a part of the Montgomery County delegation to China.”. Learn more, 21 Maryland Avenue, Suite 330 Rockville, MD 20850 / (240) 777-2523 / sistercities@montgomerycountymd.gov, © Montgomery Sister Cities . This relationship will surely grow and strengthen cultural, educational, business, and trade exchanges between the two communities.”. Xi'an is the sister city with Kyoto, Japan and with Pau, France. While there, the faculty will have the chance to present on the status of the humanities discipline, as well as to study innovative ways to teach humanities courses and create seminars for cross-disciplinary faculty members in the relevance of the humanities in higher education and in culture. In addition to volunteers, sister city organizations can include representatives from nonprofi… In the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, spanning Brush Creek on the Country Club Plaza, stands the Sister Cities International Bridge. Many European cities that have had sister-city arrangements with China are showing reluctance in pursuing such ties. Xi'an (Chinese: 西安; pinyin: Xī'ān) is the capital of Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. Note that the data on Wikipedia is highly unreliable. The total for travel, food, and lodging costs paid by Montgomery County was $7,500. 1989 As well as sharing several sister city partnerships with China, Liverpool is also twinned with three other cities – Cologne, Dublin, and Rio de Janeiro. Xi’an’s ancient architecture includes the City Wall, Bell Tower, Drum Tower and Wild Goose Pagodas. The investment would fund two BHI programs–an entrepreneur-in-residence position focusing on connecting the Central Maryland region’s advanced medical technologies with China’s market demand and a new Health IT Accelerator in Montgomery County. The first of the twinning arrangements was with Cologne in 1952. Contents. The first sister city of Istanbul was Rio de Janeiro in 1965, then it was followed by Shimonoseki in 1972 and Lahor in 1975. Thanks to both the agreement and a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the College’s Global Humanities Institute plans to send 15 faculty members and administrators to Xi’an in 2017. The Xi’an Sister City Committee is also the originator of the tradition of dragon boat racing tradition each spring on Brush Creek. Xi’an, China Sister City. “Montgomery County is a talent magnet for people from every corner of the globe. Dedicated in 2000, the bridge is home to the national flags of Kansas City ’s 12 sister cities – from Seville, Spain (since 1967) to Yan’an, China (since 2017). A relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or appointed official from both communities sign off on an agreement to become sister cities. “It will result in more jobs and investment in Montgomery County and more business for County companies in China. Xi'an (Chinese: 西安; pinyin: Xī'ān) is the capital of Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China.One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty. I am confident the contacts we made from this trip will bring business to Montgomery County.”, “This trip helped us discover many opportunities in different parts of China related to education, research, and business,” added Elaine Amir, Executive Director of Johns Hopkins Montgomery County. Diane Vu (240) 777-8320 diane.vu@montgomerycountymd.gov. They … Xi'an is the starting point of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The visit was featured prominently in The China Daily, the official English newspaper of all China:http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2013-09/24/content_16989823.htm. Daniel Koroma (240) 777-2584 daniel.koroma@montgomerycountymd.gov. Additional possibilities for collaboration may include study abroad opportunities for students, collaborative virtual online seminars or courses, visiting faculty arrangements, and more. One-third of our million people were born in other countries. Kansas City has 13 sister cities. Benxi, in northeast China near Shenyang, has one million residents and is developing a $16 billion “China Medicine Capital”—a national bio-pharmaceutical science and technology industry base. Kansas City, Missouri Celebrates 20-year Partnership with Xi'an, China As part of the celebration, the City Council will adopt a resolution declaring July 13 to be "Kansas City-Xi'an Day. It is a high-tech, “new economy,” and financial center. Generally, through friendly negotiations between policy leaders, two different cities are officially announced to be sister cities at a signing ceremony. The Montgomery College team, led by President Dr. DeRionne Pollard, visited the Xi’an University and signed an MOU to form the broad framework for a partnership between the two institutions. Xi’an literally means “Western Peace”. A city may have any number of sister cities, with community involvement ranging from a half dozen to hundreds of volunteers. This is a list of places in China which have standing links to local communities in other countries. All Montgomery County government employees on the delegation, including the County Executive, paid all their own expenses for the Mission and took vacation time, except for Department of Economic Development director Steve Silverman, Mission lead organizer Lily Qi, Director of Special Projects in the Office of the County Executive, and a bilingual assistant. List of twin towns and sister cities in China. It was one of the Four Ancient Capitals of China, and is now the capital of Shaanxi Province in central China. “This mission trip will bring investment and other collaborative efforts from China to Montgomery County in general, to BHI and the two parks in particular.”, “Participating in the Montgomery County China Mission was very beneficial to US-Asia Links,” said George Dang, CEO of US-Asia Links LLC. traffic: city of wall of xi'an - reportedly the most complete wall in the country - 8 miles. In many cases, sister cities are missing or wrongly listed. Kansas City and Xi’an have many similarities, mainly that they are both located in the center of their respective countries and are known as “Gateways to the West.” There is also some significant history between the two cities. Xi'an in China is Edinburgh's largest sister city, with a population of over 8.7 million people. they are preparing to … Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013 InterContinental Hotel Ballroom 401 Ward Parkway Sponsors of this mission trip included Marriott International, Choice Hotels International, the Mid-Atlantic Petroleum, US Pharmacopeia, the Chinese Biopharmaceutical Association, and the Maryland China Business Council. The last sister city of Istanbul is Tbilisi since April 2016. “It was also an eye-opening experience to see how significant the sister cities program is.”, “I joined the economic development mission, which was remarkably successful, because I want our county to be more competitive in a global economy,” said Councilmember Hans Riemer. The private institutions are famous in the country. According to a July 2012 report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, it was recently named as one of the 13 emerging megacities, or megalopolises, in China. As a business person keen to expand operations in China, I believe the Mission’s objectives fit squarely with ours: build lasting ties that create mutual benefits. Montgomery County’s Chinese Sister City, Xi’an, has donated 20,000 masks for Montgomery County employees who work on the front lines. “I was very pleased with the Mission,” said County Executive Leggett. Picture: Wikimedia Commons Xi'an municipal bureau of culture and tourism also introduced and promoted the city's rich cultural tourism resources. In each of the cities visited—Pudong (the largest district in Shanghai), Xi’an, Benxi and the Gu’an County (outside of Beijing), the delegation met with the highest level of government officials in addition to business, education and hospital executives. 1 Middle School; • Meetings between the Universities at Shady Grove with the Xi’an Jiaotong University and the Northwest University, two top universities known for their strong STEM programs; • Montgomery College delegation’s visit to the Xi’an University and discussion on several programmatic areas. The two cities also won a 2014 US-China Sister Cities Award in the "economy and trade" category. Join Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett on South Korea & China Joint Sister City and Business Development Mission Trip. For China, sister city arrangements are much more than just an extra flag at the local airport. Montgomery County’s Sister City, Xi’an, in China has generously donated 20,000 masks to protect Montgomery County frontline workers during the COVID-19 health crisis. Kansas City has been sister cities with Xi’an since 1989. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty. Basically, Sisiter Cities International is a concept that connect international cities in many interesting ways. Gondar, Ethiopia Sister City. They agree to share and contribute diverse ideas and activities between each other. “With careful preparation by county staff and our strong Chinese American community, we were able to forge partnerships with companies in China’s rapidly growing tech sectors. CFLD is a progressive and professional organization which will be an excellent partner for BHI and the County.”, “The activities at Shanghai, Xi’an and Beijing raised Montgomery County’s standing significantly to those local governments, business communities and general public,” said Yingxian Xiao, CEO of Potomac Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Executive Director of Chinese Biopharmaceutical Association – USA. List of twin towns and sister cities in Malaysia From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. “It gave the opportunity to promote our company to the vast market in Shanghai and Xi’an China. “Xi’an, with its extraordinary history, strong commitment to education, and bright future, is a perfect Sister City for Montgomery County.” County Executive Ike Leggett signed Montgomery County’s first Sister City agreement in July of 2011 with Morazán, El Salvador and the second Sister City agreement in September of 2012 with Gondar, Ethiopia. “It was a privilege to join the delegation to Xi’an,” said Mary D. Kane, President and CEO of Sister Cities International. In 2013, Montgomery County established a “Sister City” relationship with the city of Xi’an, which is home to 12 million residents and the famous Terra Cotta Warriors. Sister cities: Countries: Dates of Establishment: Nara: Japan: Ferbruary 1, 1974: Kyoto: … If you find an error, please make a correction on the relevant Wikipedia pages and cite your sources. The number of institutions is the third only after Beijing and Shanghai. “We’re happy to see Montgomery County and Xi’an move towards formalizing a sister city relationship. Multi-level partnerships were developed on education, healthcare, and business fronts. Mayor James also will present the 2013 Kansas City World Citizen of the Year Award to Robert (Bob) Chien, long-time advocate of closer China-U.S. relations, chairman of the Kansas City-Xi’an Sister City Committee and President of the Society for Friendship with China. Our Sister Cities program is a great way to connect to the cultures and countries of origin of our neighbors,” explained Director of Community Partnerships Bruce Adams. A deal with Dublin followed in 1997, with both cities enjoying strong tourism, cultural and arts links. The concept of Sister Cities, or twin towns originated after World War II to create cultural and commercial ties between communities internationally. Ravenbank and St Philips visited their sister schools and immersed themselves in Chinese education. All Rights reserved. “It was a privilege to join the delegation to Xi’an,” said Mary D. Kane, President and CEO of Sister Cities International. “As the success of this trip shows, having a large, engaged, globally-connected community is one of our key strategic economic advantages.”, “The 2013 Montgomery County Mission to China was an unqualified success,” said Mike Violette of the Maryland-China Business Council and Washington Labs and American Certification Body. • Visits to the United Family Hospital in Shanghai developed by the Bethesda-based Chindex and the Benxi Central Hospital, which was connected with Johns Hopkins International and the Washington Adventist Hospital – and a significant start on discussions between Johns Hopkins, the Benxi Hospital, and the China Medical University; and a visit to Xi’an public housing development project and discussion of affordable housing models in China. The following are all Sister Cities to KC: Tainan City, Taiwan Seville, Spain Xi'an, People's Republic of China Freetown, Sierra Leone Ramla, Israel Port Harcourt, Nigeria San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico Kurashiki, Japan Metz, France Guadalajara, Mexico Hannover, Germany Arusha, Tanzania It is home to 12 million residents and the famous Terra Cotta Warriors. • A business recognition dinner in Shanghai to promote Montgomery County as a destination for businesses, investors and visitors and to celebrate the success of Montgomery County-based businesses in China, including such global companies as Marriott International, Discovery Communications, Chindex International, Choice Hotels International, the Washington Labs, and several life sciences companies who were able to join us in China, including Aeras, United Therapeutics, Sirnomics, US Pharmacopeia, BioHealth Innovation and the Chinese Biopharmaceutical Association; Highlights of education activities, brokered by the Office of the County Executive, included interchange between Montgomery County’s education delegation leaders with their counterparts: • MCPS delegation’s visits to public schools in Pudong and Xi’an and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Churchill High School and its sister school, the Xi’an No. City Committee is also the originator of the Silk Road and home to 12 million and. 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