China and Cincinnati growing stronger ties

Ties between Cincinnati, Ohio, and China are growing stronger than ever.

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley’s trip to China at the end of 2018 not only resulted in the signing of a memorandum of understanding on partnership between the cities of Chongqing and Cincinnati, but also strengthened his keen desire for mutually beneficial business ties between the United States and China.

Although Chongqing is one of the largest cities in the world, “I think most Westerners, myself included, didn’t even know anything about it before planning the trip to China”, he said of the city in southwestern China.

The mayor made the comment over the weekend during the 2019 Chinese Lunar New Year Gala, an event organized by the Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce and attended by around 300 Chinese and US representatives from different sectors of society.

Cranley said he was “absolutely blown away” by the development of Chongqing’s infrastructure and technology, as well as the beauty of Chongqing University.

“In some ways, we are underestimated here in the Midwest, and they may be underestimated in the Middle Kingdom, but we are all looking to grow together,” Cranley said. “It’s important that we strengthen the ties of commerce and trade to the extent that we can.”

Cranley also said one of things that struck him was how alike US and Chinese people are.

“Similar in the pursuit of excellence, success and fortune,” he said. “These really are two countries with people that have similar ambitions.”

Cincinnati, the third-largest city in Ohio, was once known as the “Paris of America” due to its many prominent architectural projects.

Several Fortune 500 companies, including Kroger and Macy’s, which have offices in China, have their headquarters in Cincinnati, a city of around 300,000 people.

Zhao Yumin, deputy consul general of China in New York, said Ohio has long been on the forefront of technological and historical progress.

“When people were using boats on the Ohio River, you adopted steamers from Europe. When southern states were protecting their slavery system, you built underground railroads to save those people who needed help,” he said.

He also praised Ohio as a pioneering state in promoting US-China relations, citing former Ohio Governor James Rhodes, who led the first Ohio trade mission to Beijing and Hebei province in the 1970s.

“That visit set a record for the first ever sister state relationship between China and your state,” Zhao said.