从那时起，我们见证了有史以来规模最大的基层交往，包括各类对话和交流，美中州长/省长论坛以及本次活动，这些活动为加强双边关系和增进相互理解提供了机会。
For example, Vice President Xi Jinping visited the United States in February. Vice President Xi traveled to Los Angeles with Vice President Biden after meeting President Obama at the White House. Vice President Xi’s visit coincided with an explosion of city-to-city and state-to-province ties, a surge in U.S. local governments’ setting up trade offices in China and increasing demand for foreign investment.
例如，习近平副主席在2月访问了美国。在前往白宫与欧巴马总统举行会晤之后，习副主席在拜登副总统陪同下前往洛杉矶。在习副主席访问前后，两国州/省和城市之间的交流活动倍增，更多美国地方政府在中国设立贸易办事处，对外国投资的需求也在增大。
At present, there are over 200 sister-city and sister-state relationships between the United States and China, and more than 30 state trade offices working in China.
现在，美中之间共有200多对姐妹城市和姐妹州，美国有30多个州在中国开设了贸易办事处。
U.S.-China ties are clearly richer and more extensive than ever before. Bilateral cooperation and dialogue have moved beyond traditional diplomacy into the fields of economic and commercial engagement and cultural and educational exchanges.
显然，与以往任何时候相比，今天的美中关系都更丰富、更广泛。双边合作与对话已经超越了传统的外交领域，经济、商务、文化、教育等领域的交往全面展开。
The further we deepen our relationship, the more we need to bring into play the skills and energies of partners beyond our central and federal governments.
我们之间的关系越深厚，我们就越需要中央/联邦政府之外的合作伙伴贡献智慧和精力。
Citizen diplomacy networks, such as Sister Cities International, play an important role in creating and strengthening partnerships between U.S. and Chinese communities.
国际姐妹城市协会之类的公民外交组织在建立和加强美中社区之间的伙伴关系方面起着重要的作用。
I would like to offer my congratulations to Sister Cities International and CPAFFC on the MOU they will sign tomorrow formalizing an ongoing partnership to collaborate to create new sister city, sister county, and sister state/province relationships between U.S. and Chinese communities to promote peace, mutual understanding, and prosperity in their respective communities. This agreement will significantly benefit the U.S.-China bilateral relationship.
明天，国际姐妹城市协会和中国人民对外友好协会将签署一份《谅解备忘录》，把现有的伙伴关系正规化，共同推动在美中之间建立新的姐妹城市、姐妹县、姐妹州/省，以促进和平、相互理解和繁荣。这项协议将使美中双边关系受益匪浅。
I believe that engagement at the local level will continue to offer an exciting and effective method for Americans to discuss issues of mutual concern with Chinese provincial officials.
我深信，基层交往将继续为美方提供一种令人振奋的、有效的方式与中国基层政府官员探讨双方共同关心的问题。
Our host city, Chengdu, understands the importance of local engagement, counting several international cities as sister-city partners, including Honolulu, Phoenix, and Knoxville in the United States.
我们的东道主成都市理解基层交流的重要性，它与多个国际城市结成了姐妹合作关系，其中包括美国的檀香山、凤凰城和诺克斯维尔。
I look forward to continued collaboration with our Chinese friends to further enhance existing sister-city relationships and to foster new relationships to facilitate greater understanding between our two great nations.
我期待着与我们的中国朋友继续合作，进一步加强现有姐妹城市关系和建立新关系，增进我们两个伟大国家的相互理解。
