For Deb Patterson, her first trip to China was intense and impressive. During her 15-day visit, the member of the Oregon State Senate of the United States traveled along China's eastern coast and inland regions, where Patterson gained a broader understanding of the country's geography, development and its people.

"We've got different climates, food, scenery, and met people in each area and learned a great deal," she said, highlighting that they explored more cooperation opportunities with East China's Fujian province and the coastal city of Tianjin in North China, which are both friendly provincial-level regions for Oregon.

It has been 41 years since Oregon and Fujian established a sister-state relationship. "We want to keep that relationship thriving," Patterson said, adding, "Many of us came here not only to visit our sister state, but also to learn more about all of China."

Patterson was a member of a delegation led by Rob Wagner, president of the Oregon State Senate, which toured 10 cities in China, including Shenzhen in Guangdong province, Fuzhou in Fujian, Tianjin, and Chengdu in Sichuan province. Their last stop was Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, where they attended the seventh China-US Sister Cities Conference on Monday.

The Oregon delegation, comprising state senators, bipartisan representatives and many business leaders, is the strongest delegation that the US state has sent to China since the COVID-19 pandemic, Wagner said at the opening ceremony of the conference, calling it a visit aimed at breaking stereotypes.

The Oregon State Legislature passed the first statute in the US to codify a sister-state relationship with Chinese provinces and cities, which Wagner said aims to ensure that such partnerships are nurtured, respected and carried forward for many future generations.

Earlier this year, Oregon reaffirmed this vision through the adoption of the Senate Concurrent Resolution 32, which recognized the value of Oregon's partnership with Fujian and Tianjin.

"It underscores the importance of subnational diplomacy at a time when global challenges — from climate change to economic uncertainty — require more dialogue, exchanges and cooperation at every level," Wagner said.

Oregon's experience offers an important lesson that subnational relations thrive when they are rooted in law, supported by institutions and embraced across the political spectrum, he added.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 46 years ago, China and the US have established 288 pairs of sister states and cities.

Monday's conference brought together over 300 representatives from both countries, including more than 180 representatives from 28 states in the US. This was the largest and highest-level local exchange event between the two countries in recent years.

Carol Lopez, chair emeritus of Sister Cities International, said this network is a vital resource where goodwill is converted into concrete actions, serving as a powerful platform for sharing experiences and enhancing friendship.

It is also a force for stability amid fluctuations in high-level relations, Lopez said, adding that such relationships drive economic benefits, support job creation and demonstrate the positive impact of local diplomacy on the global stage.

In a video speech, Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng called on China and the US to strengthen the local foundation, so that the "microcirculation" of local cooperation can help improve the broader atmosphere of bilateral relations.

Xie also called for deepening mutual understanding for the China-US friendship to take root among the two peoples, leveraging the warmth and vitality of people-to-people connections to dispel misunderstandings and break the "chilling effect".

Participants should take the conference as an opportunity to work out concrete proposals and gather momentum for the sustainable development of China-US relations, so that bilateral cooperation can resist the headwinds of decoupling, he added.

Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said that subnational cooperation between China and the US is resilient and vibrant.

"Through various channels and connections, the two peoples have broken through information barriers, stepped into warm communities, engaged deeply on university campuses and stayed in each other's homes, where they have gained a real, comprehensive and multidimensional view of both China and the US," Yang said.

Subnational cooperation between China and the US also enjoys vast potential and a solid foundation of shared interests, he noted.

Citing the US heartland as an example, Yang said that trade with China has created more than 400,000 jobs in the Midwestern states, and more than 1,000 Chinese enterprises operating there have provided over 70,000 employment opportunities.

Victoria Woodards, mayor of Tacoma in the US state of Washington, emphasized that such partnerships are not based on politics, but built with people. Collaboration doesn't just happen between nations, it begins with neighbors, cities and people, she said.

Woodards expressed her commitment to building bridges not just in terms of commerce, but also in terms of culture and compassion.

Chen Ye and Qi Xiao in Hangzhou contributed to this story.