III. Sub-national Cooperation

38. Building Sub-National Relationships: Decided to continue to enhance sub-national relations as envisioned in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Concerning the Establishment of the U.S.-China Governors Forum to Promote Sub-National Cooperation including the Governors Forum held in April 2013 in Beijing and Tianjin. There are over 200 sister-city/sister-state relationships between the United States and China, and both sides welcome new sub-national relationships that foster innovation, create new business opportunities, and expand people-to-people exchanges. Representatives from both countries participated in the China International Friendship Cities Conference held in September 2012 in Chengdu, where they witnessed the signing of the MOU between Sister Cities International (SCI) and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). This MOU formalized the ongoing partnership to collaborate to create new sister-city and sister-state/province relationships between U.S. and Chinese communities to promote mutual understanding and prosperity in their respective communities. SCI and CPAFFC are working together to plan the U.S.-China Sister Cities Conference in 2014 in the United States.

39. EcoPartnerships: Held a signing ceremony, witnessed by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and State Councilor Yang Jiechi, during the 5th S&ED and admitted six new EcoPartnerships. The two sides held a conference in December 2012 and launched a new website in 2013 focused on improving information sharing and transparency and facilitating cooperation among EcoPartners. By bringing together U.S. and Chinese local governments, research institutions, universities, corporations, and non-governmental organizations, EcoPartnerships spur innovation, investment, and cooperation on energy and environmental issues in both countries. Critical investment by and pragmatic cooperation among EcoPartners at the sub-national level translate the strategic goals of the Ten-Year Framework action plans into concrete achievements.

40. EcoPartnerships Workshop: Decided to hold an EcoPartnerships Workshop immediately after the 5th S&ED. The attendees will exchange experiences and practices in developing successful green cooperation projects and discuss how the EcoPartnerships program, as an effective platform of promoting pragmatic cooperation in energy and environment areas, should continue to make contributions to U.S.-China cooperation on green and low-carbon development.

41. Eco-City Project: Announced six pilot eco-cities. Based on an annex signed in 2011, DOE and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) jointly created this project to study and develop comparative eco-city guidelines and standards, determine technology and deployment needs, and assess the effects and best practices in sustainable urban development.

42. Mayors Training Program: Welcomed the fourth Chinese mayors delegation to the United States in June 2013. The second U.S. mayors delegation is scheduled to visit China in September 2013. This program, initiated in 2010 by and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MOHURD) with support from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), has brought mayors from both countries together on training trips in the United States and China to examine best practices in eco-city development and to promote exchange of ideas and promote deployment of green technologies.