U.S. mayoral delegation visits central China's Wuhan

WUHAN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- A 13-member delegation of mayors from the heartland states of the United States paid a visit to Wuhan, capital city of central China's Hubei Province, on Tuesday.

The U.S. mayors made the visit at the invitation of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

The delegation engaged in discussions with officials from eight Hubei cities on topics such as green development and friendly cooperation. They also held a roundtable meeting on Tuesday afternoon, focusing on environmental cooperation and the promotion of China-U.S. friendship.

Wu Haitao, the vice governor of Hubei, highlighted the achievements in economic and trade cooperation, educational collaboration and people-to-people exchanges between Hubei and friendly U.S. states.

Wu expressed the hope for further deepening of cooperation between Hubei and the U.S. heartland states and cities in the fields of environmental protection, public health and cultural education. He said he looked forward to strengthening mutual trust, deepening friendship between China and the United States, and enhancing people-to-people connections.

Jim Brainard, head of the U.S. Heartland Mayors Delegation, and mayor of Carmel, Indiana, said that mayors worldwide are all committed to improving the lives of their city's residents. He stressed that cities should adopt an open-minded approach to learn from the experience and practices of other cities in different countries, strengthen connections between people and expand cooperation in various fields, ultimately benefiting their citizens.

Wang Taihui, the mayor of the city of Xiangyang, and Brainard signed an agreement on Tuesday to establish a sister-city relationship between the two cities.

During the two-day visit in Hubei, the delegation will also explore a new energy vehicle company and engage in discussions with students at Wuhan University.