SEATTLE - At a forum between leaders from both China and the United States, five officials from different cities in China showcased their regional strengths.

The delegation was led by the vice-mayor of Shanghai who emphasized the importance of city-level cooperation between China and the US. Presentations were given by vice-mayors from Shanghai, Chongqing, Xi'an and Wuxi, as well as the mayor of Weifang.

Yue Huafeng, vice-mayor of Xi'an, Shaanxi province, linked the Chinese city to Seattle by highlighting commonalities. He compared the Boeing Co with Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corp, an aircraft manufacturer and developer of large- and medium-sized airplanes.

He said Xi'an's biggest advantage is its rich and diverse talent pool. The city has nearly 50 public and private universities and 1 million college students, which he said could set up a strong base for foreign investment.

"We should take advantage of this and make this a selling point to attract international research firms, industrial multinationals and others for their investment," he said.

Seattle has the highest percentage of college and university graduates of any large American city - more than 54 percent of residents over the age of 25 have at least a bachelor's degree, which is nearly double the national rate of 24 percent.

Xi'an is known for its higher education in technical colleges and its expertise in the biotech and medical industries.

"Xi'an's small- to medium-sized enterprises, particularly in the medical industry, should learn from those in Seattle in terms of management," he said.

Xi'an, a city in northwest China, needs to catch up with southern cities in China in terms of globalization, said Yue.

"But we won't follow the old path of the southern or coastal cities of China, we should utilize our own advantages," he added.

Yue encouraged people from Seattle to visit his city, which was the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese ancient history and has one of the world's eight wonders - the Terracotta Warriors. He also quoted a line from the Tom Hanks' movie Sleepless in Seattle: "What if some city you never know, some city you never saw, some city you never visit was the perfect city for you?"

China Daily

(China Daily 04/20/2011 page15)