Sub-National Contacts Deepen China-U.S. Relations.docVIP

Sub-National Contacts Deepen China-U.S. Relations 　　DURING President Hu Jintao’s state visit to theU.S. in January, China and the U.S. signed theMemorandum of Understanding on EstablishingChina-U.S.Governors Forum to Promote Sub-nationaI Cooperation. The memorandum supports the establishment of a China-U.S. Governors Forum by the ChinesePeople’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC) and the National Governors Association (NGA)of the U.S. This forum aims to provide an important platform of communication between U.S state governors andprovincial governors in China, and advance practical cooperation in trade, investment, energy, environment, cultureand other fields. 　　 　　Direct Dialogue Between Sub-national Leaders 　　 　　The China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue is a forumfor national governments, while the China-U.S. GovernorsForum is a coinmunication platform for local governments.Li Xiaolin, vice president of the CPAFFC, remarked, As anon-governmental organization, the CPAFFC has conductedmany exchanges with U.S. organizations such as the SouthernGovernors Association and the Midwestern Governors Association and established some long-term partnersbips. ThisChina-U.S. Governors Forum covers a wide range of fields forcooperation at quite a high level. Given direct communication,the two sides can discuss emerging problems, which is a winwin situation for both countries. There are lots of differencesbetween the two in history, culture and politicalsystems. With the development of its economy,China has got much closer to the world, whichprompts us to look for common ground withother countries. How to go about this? Peopleto-people exchange provides a way. This gubernatorial contact mechanism is an innovation,providing a platform for U.S. governors to conlmunicate with their counterparts in China in amore direct and effective way. 　　On February 26, Zhon Qiang, secretary ofthe CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, and LiXiaolin attended the sign