On October 29, the Yangtze-Mississippi River Regional Dialogue, co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the People's Government of Hubei Province, was held in Wuhan. Themed "River Dialogue for a Glorious Chapter, Basin Cooperation for a Win-Win Future," the dialogue brought together 100 representatives from local governments and various sectors along the Yangtze River Basin and the Mississippi River Basin. Discussions were carried out on shipping and logistics, cultural tourism, sister-city exchanges, education, and youth. Zhuge Yujie, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, attended the dialogue. Zhang Wentong, Vice Governor of Hubei Province; Shen Xin, Vice President of CPAFFC; and Susan Thornton, Vice Chair of the United States Heartland China Association (USHCA), attended the dialogue and delivered remarks.
Zhang Wentong noted that, Hubei and the U.S. share a long history of subnational exchanges with remarkable achievements in practical cooperation. Given the encouraging prospects for Yangtze-Mississippi river basin cooperation, Hubei looks forward to continuously deepening dialogue and exchanges with the U.S. side, deepening basin cooperation, and writing a new chapter of mutually beneficial collaboration.
Shen Xin noted that the Yangtze-Mississippi River Regional Dialogue, built on practical cooperation and aimed at deepening friendship, has established a multi-level, long-term cooperation framework in ecological protection, academic exchanges, and subnational collaboration, serving as a model for people-to-people and subnational interactions between China and the U.S. The two sides should build a sustainable future by consolidating an "ecological community with a shared future", expand the scope of subnational cooperation by forging a "collaboration network of cities", and gather support from all sectors by fostering a "bridge of people-to-people friendship". It is essential to fully tap the cooperative potential of participating provinces, states, and cities, increase mutual visits and dialogues, and advance cooperation in extensive areas, including agriculture, science and technology, innovation, and youth engagement.
Susan Thornton noted that the Yangtze-Mississippi River Regional Dialogue builds a bridge for exchanges between the peoples and cities of the two basins, expressing hope that the dialogue will drive more in-depth exchanges and broader cooperation between them.
At the meeting, the "Wuhan Initiative on Yangtze-Mississippi River Basin Cooperation and Development" was officially released. The two sides pledge to work together to establish future city partnerships, deepen the bonds of people-to-people and cultural exchanges, jointly respond to the common challenges of climate change, and enhance shipping and logistics connectivity. Youth representatives from China and the U.S. jointly read out the "'Caring for Nature, Working Together' - A Shared Vision for Chinese and American Youth Protecting the Great Rivers". Before and after the dialogue, U.S. delegates conducted field visits to institutions in Wuhan related to historical and cultural heritage, ecological conservation, and technological innovation. They also took part in a China-U.S. youth exchange activity.
Sun Tao, Director-General of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs of the CPAFFC, also attended at the event.
