Baltimore Sister Cities

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Youth Ambassadors Student Trip to China

2025 marks the 40th year anniversary of the Baltimore-Xiamen sister city relationship and the 45th anniversary of the Maryland State – Anhui Province sister state relationship. As part of a series of celebratory events, the city of Xiamen and Anhui Province have offered to host Youth Ambassadors from Baltimore again. This trip is organized by Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee for high school students from Baltimore and Maryland — our Youth Ambassadors. For more information, visit the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee website at bxscc.org.

Baltimore-Xiamen Youth Ambassadors Trip to China 2019
Photo from a previous Baltimore Youth Ambassadors trip to China.

Feb 7 / Celebrate the Year of the Snake

Happy New Year 春节快乐

Date/time: Friday, February 7, 2025 at 5:30-6:45pm ET
Location: Bard High School Early College (BHSEC), 2801 N. Dukeland Street, Baltimore, MD 21216
Admission: Free — Bring your family and friends!

Join us for night of cultural performances, as we bring in the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Snake. Featuring Student Popup Shops at 4:30-5:30pm. Celebration 5:30-6:35 pm with the JHU Yong Han Lion Dance Troupe and the Lan Yun Blue Orchids Chinese Dance Team.

Sponsored and co-organized by the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC) .

This project has been financed in part with State Funds from the Maryland Historical Trust, an agency of the Maryland Department of Planning which is an instrumentality of the State of Maryland. However, project contents or opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Maryland Historical Trust of the Maryland Department of Planning.

Lunar New Year celebration at Bard Baltimore on February 7, 2025. 2 red snakes encircling the name of the event (in English and Chinese text), the program, and the address. Logos of the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee and Bard Baltimore. Logo of Marland Humanities at the bottom of the flyer next to the names of the funders.

Summer 2024 Youth Exchanges

In late July to early August, Baltimore youth travel to China, and Japanese scouts visit Baltimore!

The Youth Ambassadors Program is Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC)’s student leadership development program for 14 to 18-year old students. This summer, the Youth Ambassadors are traveling to China! Trip include a visit to the Baltimore’s sister city of Xiamen, State of Maryland’s sister province of Anhui and China’s capital of Beijing. More information

The sister cities of Kawasaki Japan and Baltimore have hosted scout exchange program for over 35 years! After pausing for a number of years during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has resumed. The Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee hosts a visiting delegation of Venture Scouts from Kawasaki Japan this summer.

May 31 / APAHM social event

Setsuhi Shiraishi ‘Into The Calligraphy’ performance & Baltimore Sister Cities social celebrating APAHM month

Setsuhi Shiraishi: Into the Calligraphy. An opening reception and Baltimore Sister Cities Social Celebrating APAHM. Photo of the artist with calligraphy brushes, date and address of the event. Logos of the Sponsors and Partners.

OPENING RECEPTION & BSC SOCIAL

Date: Friday, May 31, 2024
Time: 8 – 11pm ET
Location: Atrium Artspace, 2029 Maryland Avenue, Baltimore MD 21218
Admission: Free
Please RSVP here: forms.gle/i9uvY1mmep98MX5CA
More info: Event page on BmoreArt site

A special performance collaboration by master calligrapher Setsuhi Shiraishi with artist Lucia Li. Join us on May 31 for an opening reception for Setsuhi Shiraishi’s exhibition, meet the artists, and enjoy the Baltimore Sister Cities social event for APAHM (Asian Pacific American Islander Heritage Month)!


EXHIBITION

Date: Friday, May 31 – Sunday, June 2, 2024
Gallery Hours: Friday 8 – 11 pm; Saturday 11 am – 3 pm; Sunday 1 – 10:30 pm
Location: Atrium Artspace, 2029 Maryland Avenue, Baltimore MD 21218
More info: Event page on BmoreArt site

This exhibition features work by contemporary master calligrapher Setsuhi Shiraishi that has been made throughout the years she has worked in Maryland, Baltimore, and across the DMV. Curated by Michael Miki Young. Presented by OTS Productions.


Sponsored by T. Rowe Price Foundation, Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister Committee, Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee, Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee.

Partners: Asia North Festival 2024 (Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center) and MIMA (Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.

Apr 9 / Annual CHINA Town Hall in Baltimore: Local Connections, National Reflections

Logos of Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee, City of Baltimore, NCUSR. Photos and titles of the national and local speakers. Title and short description of the event.

Date/time: Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 6:30-9pm ET
Location: Baltimore City Hall, 100 Holliday Street Baltimore, MD 21202
Admission: $20. Advance registration required. Deadline for registration is April 5.
For more information and to register: chinatownhall2024baltimore.eventbrite.com

China’s rapid development and Sino-American relations have a direct impact on the lives of nearly everyone in the United States. CHINA Town Hall is a national conversation about China that provides Americans across the United States, and beyond, the opportunity to discuss issues in the relationship with leading experts. The Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee is the Baltimore and Maryland host for this annual event organized by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR). The NCUSCR recruits a high-level speaker or panel on U.S.-China topics and the local host provides the venue and webcasting support as well as a distinguished local speaker/moderator to conduct follow-up discussions with the local audience.

This year’s event features U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Dr. Kurt Campbell in a national conversation via webcast on how the U.S.-China relationship affects our cities, towns, and communities. In Baltimore, the Director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, Robert Daly, will comment in person on Secretary Campbell’s presentation and will take questions about Baltimore and Maryland’s relationship with China.

Join us for the 18th annual CHINA Town Hall, hosted nationwide by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) and in Baltimore by the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee. Event ticket includes buffet-style Chinese cuisine.

Note: Parking is not permitted on the cobblestones in front of City Hall. Garage parking is available at the Baltimore Street Garage next to City Hall at 15 Guilford Ave, Baltimore, MD 21202 and is not included or affiliated with the event.

Baltimore High School Students Visit the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC

Group photo with Bard High School Early College students at the Chinese Embassy
The students received a tour of the Chinese Embassy

December 1, 2023

On Friday, December 1, 2023, a total of 36 Bard High School Early College Baltimore students visited the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC. The embassy staff warmly welcomed the students at the main entrance and treated them as special guests. Students were given a tour of the embassy, which featured famous Chinese paintings, chandeliers, vases, calligraphy and classic books.

Following the embassy tour, the embassy staff provided students with light snacks and beverages while they watched two short videos. The first video featured Xiamen, Baltimore’s sister city in Fujian Province, China. Students expressed how struck they were by the beauty of Xiamen. They were then introduced to the embassy photographer for the day who was from Xiamen, who shared warm greetings with the students. They also watched a video about Chinese characters. Students were surprised to learn that even Chinese people themselves struggle with characters, too!

Finally, the embassy staff arranged a fun game to help students learn more about U.S.-China relations. Six students were divided into two teams and given ten questions to answer. Through this activity, students not only appreciated the sense of humor of the embassy staff but also learned key facts. These included: the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee was founded in 1985, and during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco last month, he announced plans for China to welcome 50,000 American students to China over the next five years.

Thereafter, students were joined by Wang Peijun of the Embassy’s Congressional and Sub-national Affairs Section and Ai Longfei of the Office of Educational Affairs. They answered three questions posed by the Bard students. In his remarks, Mr. Wang introduced commonalities between the United States and China. He noted that both are: similar in size geographically; super-sized market economies; nuclear powers recognized by the United Nations; and, members of the UN Security Council. Given such similarities, Mr. Wang explained, Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng has worked to return to key understandings reached between Presidents Biden and Xi in Bali (Indonesia) in late 2022, as well as in San Francisco on November 15 this year. Noting that the U.S.-China relationship has faced numerous challenges over the past few years, Mr. Wang explained that in Bali the two sides agreed the relationship must be managed successively. The focus thus has been threefold: to fix the relationship, grow the relationship, and maintain solid momentum of the relationship going forward. Xi’s guidelines to manage the U.S.-China relationship, Wang said, focuses on seeking a stable, sound and sustainable connection to achieve mutual responsibility, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation.

In concluding the program, Ms. Jeannette Felton, chair of the Education Subcommittee of the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee, expressed appreciation to the embassy and its counterparts in Xiamen for the opportunity to bring Bard students to tour the embassy and expressed hope for the further development of Baltimore-Xiamen ties through educational exchanges.

Following the visit, students shared their impressions of the embassy visit. They wrote how much they learned about the importance of U.S.-China relations and the beauty of our sister city, Xiamen. They also shared how impressed they were by the beauty of the embassy’s architecture and artwork, noting how culture and art seem to be an important part of diplomatic relations. Students were especially touched by the embassy staff who took such good care of them. One student was so moved they actually wrote: “How can they be so nice and respectful?!” A couple students shared how they were interested in learning more about international affairs, how to apply for study in China, and if they could visit the embassy again!

Special thanks to all who made this event possible, including the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., the foreign affairs office in Xiamen, and the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee. We especially appreciate WANG Yang, Xin (Cindy) Wang, CHEN Qing, Helene Coccagna and Jeannette Felton.

Oct 11 / Annual CHINA Town Hall in Baltimore: Local Connections, National Reflections

Date/time: Wednesday, October 11, 2023, 5:30-9pm ET
Location: Baltimore City Hall, 100 Holliday Street Baltimore, MD 21202
Admission: $20. Advance registration required.
For more information and to purchase tickets: chinatownhall2023baltimore.eventbrite.com 

China’s rapid development and Sino-American relations have a direct impact on the lives of nearly everyone in the United States. CHINA Town Hall is a national conversation about China that provides Americans across the United States, and beyond, the opportunity to discuss issues in the relationship with leading experts. The Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee is the Baltimore and Maryland host for this annual event organized by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR). The NCUSCR recruits a high-level speaker or panel on U.S.-China topics and the local host provides the venue and webcasting support as well as a distinguished local speaker/moderator to conduct follow-up discussions with the local audience.

This year’s event features:

  • Current U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns in a national conversation on how the U.S.-China relationship affects our cities, towns, and communities.
  • Mary E. (Mendy) Nitsch, Director of International Affairs at the Maryland Office of the Secretary of State, is the in-person local speaker at the Baltimore event.

The CHINA Town Hall is hosted nationwide by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) and in Baltimore by the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC).

Logos of Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee, City of Baltimore, NCUSR. Photos and titles of the national and local speakers. Title and short description of the event.

Sep 8-11 / China International Fair for Investment & Trade

The China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) occurs in September of every year in Xiamen, China. CIFIT aims to focus on international business investment, promotion, development, and relations both in and outside China. The fair has been held annually for more than 30 years in the city of Xiamen in Fujian Province in southeast China. It is the largest such event in the country, regularly attracting more than 100,000 business people and 5,000 enterprises from more than 100 countries.

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, CIFIT has elevated their 2020 platform to be both online and in-person.

This year, the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC) is partnering with the Maryland Department of Commerce to have a virtual booth to advertise and promote multiple aspects of Maryland industry and business. The BXSCC is celebrating 35 years of sister city relations with Xiamen this year.

More information

CIFIT website: www.chinafair.org.cn/CifitSystem/english/#/index

For more info on Maryland’s virtual booth at CFIT or other Maryland-China business opportunities: email at Maryland Department of Commerce or , BXSCC Business Sub-Committee Chair.

Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee: bxscc.org

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Web site copyright © 2025 Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc.

logo-baltimoreBaltimore sister city committees operate under the auspices of the City of Baltimore’s Office of the Mayor.

 

Brandon M. Scott, Mayor

 

Previous mayor’s Dec 2015 press release about Baltimore Sister Cities becoming a 501(c)(3).

 

Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. is a 501c3 organization incorporated in the State of Maryland.
Member of  Sister Cities International, Maryland Nonprofits, World Trade Center Institute, Visit Baltimore, & affiliate of Maryland International Education Consortium.