On February 4, Anhui Province and the State of Maryland held a virtual event to launch the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of their sister province/state relationship. Li Jinbin, Party Secretary of CPC Anhui Provincial Committee, Ambassador Cui Tiankai, Lin Songtian, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan spoke at the event. Over 100 people attended the event, including Wang Qingxian, Deputy Party Secretary of CPC Anhui Provincial Committee and Governor of Anhui; Guo Qiang, member of the standing committee and secretary of CPC Anhui Provincial Committee; Zhang Xi, Vice Governor of Anhui; Pan Chaohui, secretary general of Anhui Provincial Government; Xu Xueyuan, Minister of the Chinese Embassy; Jing Quan, Deputy Director General of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of Chinese Foreign Ministry; Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan; Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford; Secretary of State John Wobensmith; representatives from Maryland-Anhui Sister State Committee as well as business, education, culture, sports communities of the two sides.

The attendees looked back at the 40 years of sister province/state cooperation in business, cultural, education and other fields, especially at their mutual assistance and friendship in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. They vowed to take this event as a new start, to deepen their cooperation in emerging industries, biopharmaceuticals and environmental protection, strengthen youth, cultural and sport exchanges, build a new type of stable, sustainable and vibrant sister province/state relationship, and achieve common prosperity and development.

The attendees watched a video about the history and achievements of their sister province/state relationship. After the launching event, the two sides held a dialogue to discuss future plans for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Twinned in June 1980, Anhui Province and the State of Maryland is the second pair of sister province/state relationship after China and the U.S. established diplomatic relations.