On May 3, 2024, Annapolis, the capital of Maryland, held a meeting of extraordinary significance. The Maryland government and a delegation of vice governors from Fujian Province, China, gathered in the Maryland House of Representatives to discuss the prospects and direction of cooperation between the two sides. This meeting was also the second visit of the Fujian Provincial Government delegation to Maryland within a year. Guests attending the meeting included Maryland Secretary of State Susan Lee, Governor's Legal Advisor Joseph Gebhardt, Governor's Office Policy Chairman Michael Thomas, International Affairs Chairman Mendy Nitsch, Special Assistant for Government Affairs Alexandria Liu, Assistant Chairman for International Affairs Rosanna Mantova, Vice Governor of Fujian Provincial People's Government Jiang Erxiong, Deputy Director of Fujian Provincial Foreign Affairs Office Chen Guoquan, Deputy Director of Fujian Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism Wu Xinbin, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of Fujian Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese Liu Siyi, Deputy Director of Fujian Provincial People's Government Office of Culture and Education Zhou Hao, Deputy Director of Fujian Provincial People's Government Office of American Affairs Yin Dan, First-level Chief Clerk of Fujian Provincial People's Government Office Lin Xiaoyan, Translator of Fujian Provincial Foreign Affairs Office Zhang Fan, Founder of Baltimore Chinese Community and Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee Member Liu Mengjing, as well as President of US-China Chamber of Commerce Li Qili, Honorary President Xie Xintan, Senior Advisor Zhu Tianhuo, and Propaganda Minister Jia Xibei.

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At the meeting, Maryland Secretary of State Susan Lee warmly welcomed the Fujian delegation and introduced the advantages and characteristics of Maryland. She mentioned that Baltimore and Xiamen are sister cities of the two places, and Maryland has rich resources and potential in agriculture, commerce, higher education, environmental protection, information security, artificial intelligence and other fields. Ms. Lee said that this meeting is an important step to strengthen cooperation between the two places and promote common development.

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Fujian Vice Governor Jiang Erxiong then delivered a speech, introducing Fujian's cultural heritage, economic strength and future development plans. She emphasized Fujian's rich resources and huge potential in the fields of culture, tourism, and economy, especially mentioned the upcoming Sino-US exchange activities in Xiamen, and invited Maryland to participate. She also expressed the hope that this meeting would promote in-depth cooperation between the two places in the fields of economy, trade, education, and culture, and bring more development opportunities to the people of the two places.

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Mendy Nitsch, chairman of Maryland International Affairs, also introduced the Maryland Global Gateway Program of the Maryland Department of Commerce at the meeting. The project aims to attract more international investment and promote economic development. Nitsch said that more than 20 companies have settled in the project, covering agriculture, technology and other fields. She expressed the hope that this meeting will further promote the cooperation between Maryland and Fujian Province and jointly create a better future.

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Joseph Gebhardt, the governor's legal adviser, said that Maryland has shown great interest in Chinese companies and hopes to attract more Chinese companies to the state. He particularly mentioned the famous Netflix documentary "American Factory", which tells the story of Fuyao Glass, a Chinese automotive glass manufacturer, building a factory in the United States. Gebhardt pointed out that the documentary shows the similarities between the management concepts of China and the United States, so he is very much looking forward to attracting more Chinese companies to invest and start businesses in Maryland in the future.

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Representatives of both sides conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions at the meeting and reached consensus on cooperation projects, exchange mechanisms, talent training, etc. In addition, Mr. Li Qili, who is from Fujian Province and is currently the president of the US-China Business Association, also warmly welcomed the delegation of the vice governor of Fujian Province and expressed his expectation for more cooperation and exchanges between Maryland and Fujian Province in the future.

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Fujian Province has made many contributions to Maryland, covering areas such as economy, culture, education and environmental protection, injecting new vitality into the friendly cooperation and common development between the two places.

• Economic and trade relations: Fujian Province and Maryland have established close economic and trade relations. Fujian Province's enterprises have invested in Maryland, providing opportunities for local economic growth and employment. At the same time, Fujian Province and Maryland's enterprises have also carried out cooperation, promoting the economic development of both sides.

• Cultural Exchange: Fujian Province and Maryland have rich cultural exchanges. Fujian Province's cultural delegations regularly visit Maryland to hold cultural exhibitions, art performances and cultural exchanges, enriching the cultural life of local residents and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two places.

• Educational cooperation: Fujian Province and Maryland have carried out multi-level cooperation and exchanges between educational institutions. Schools and universities in the two places have established friendly cooperative relations, carried out teacher and student exchange programs, academic seminars and cooperative research, and promoted the sharing of educational resources and the development of high-quality education.

• Environmental protection cooperation: Fujian Province and Maryland both attach great importance to environmental protection and sustainable development. The two places have carried out environmental protection technology cooperation, shared environmental protection experience and technological achievements, and jointly responded to challenges such as climate change and environmental pollution, making positive contributions to the improvement of the earth's environment.

This meeting further deepened the cooperation between the two places in the fields of economy, trade, education, culture, etc., and explored new opportunities and possibilities. I believe that with the joint efforts of both sides, the cooperation between Maryland and Fujian Province will usher in a brighter future.