Li Zhijun from Xi'an bureau of commerce signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Sally Poliak from the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle on Tuesday at the US-China Initiative on City-Level Economic Cooperation in Seattle, Washington. Chen Weihua / China Daily

SEATTLE - Mayors from both the United States and China shrugged off the ideological conflicts that have come to underscore bilateral trade between both nations and said on Tuesday they only care about the bottom line.

A 70-member Chinese delegation, comprising businesspeople, mayors and vice-mayors from large and medium-sized cities such as Shanghai, Chongqing and Xi'an, attempted to demonstrate their strong interest in strengthening cooperation with their US counterparts at a Tuesday meeting for the US-China Initiative on City-Level Economic Cooperation.

"The lower the level, the less ideological it is," said Rogers Weed, director of the Department of Commerce of the state of Washington.

His words were echoed by Mark Funkhouser, mayor of Kansas City (Missouri), who said: "We don't have that (kind of politics), this event is a positive thing."

At the Tuesday meeting, Chinese mayors tried to impress their US counterparts and potential investors by touting their strengths.

Ma Zhengqi, vice-mayor of Chongqing, a sister city of Seattle for the past 28 years, described the largest city in western China as an undeveloped region. But he painted a five-year blueprint in which Chongqing will make leaps in urbanization, internationalization and industrialization.

He talked about the city's fast improving transportation and infrastructural facilities and inexpensive land and utilities prices.

Yue Huafeng, vice-mayor of Xi'an, Shaanxi province, introduced his city, the site of the Terracotta Warriors, as a natural history museum on par with Athens, Rome and Cairo.

He said he believes the city's ancient wonder should not cloud people's understanding of modern Xi'an.

He described Xi'an as China's version of Seattle since both cities have a strong aviation industry and are leaders in education and technology.

On Tuesday afternoon, Xi'an's bureau of commerce and the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost bilateral exchange and cooperation.

In his presentation, Wang Guozhong, vice-mayor of Wuxi, Jiangsu province, brought along Shi Zhengrong, founder of Suntech, while Xu Liquan, mayor of Weifang, Shandong province, made the city's international kite festival a top selling point.

A total of 41 US cities sent their mayors and representatives to the conference.

"It's a great thing and a huge opportunity for cities in the United States to talk with cities in China for real economic benefit. This is not a zero sum game and this is good for both sides," Funkhouser said.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said it's important for his city to identify its advantages and build on its strength "so we can successfully trade with Chinese cities and regions which are building their strength in the global economy".

The state of Washington exported $9 billion in goods to China, making it one of the top US exporters to the country.

McGinn said mayors in both the US and China are facing tough challenges created by the global financial crisis.

Shanghai Vice-Mayor Tu Guangshao, who led the Chinese delegation, described the trip as a result of the second round of China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue, which was held in Beijing last May, as well as President Hu Jintao's visit to the US in January.

He said cooperation between cities will establish a new platform for cooperation between the two countries.

Zou Jiayi, an official from China's Ministry of Finance, said the event will pave the way for the third round of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, expected to be held in the US next month. At the state level, the first China-US Governors Forum will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, in July.

Zhou Qiang, head of Hunan province, and Washington state Governor Chris Gregoire signed an agreement in late February to formalize relations, which seeks to foster face-to-face discussions between US governors and Chinese provincial leaders over trade and education.

"Expanding exports is key to our economic recovery," said Gregoire, who chairs the National Governors Association.

Zhou called the governors forum a "wonderful platform".

"We can solve problems from our bilateral trade and economic disputes through the forum," he said. Besides trade and investment, the forum is also expected to address issues of energy, environmental protection, cultural exchange, tourism and education.

Local-level exchanges have grown steadily in recent years. In 2010, more than 110 local government delegations from both countries exchanged visits. So far, 36 US states have set up friendship ties with Chinese provinces while 161 US cities have established sister-city relationships with Chinese cities. Last year, four US governors, including former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, went to China to promote business ties.

China Daily