Under the ten-year energy and environment cooperation framework, EcoPartnerships is a platform for promoting cooperation between Chinese and U.S. local governments and institutions. In April 2012, CUPL and International City Management Association (ICMA) submitted a proposal titled “City Sustainable Development: Training and Technical Exchanges” to the Joint Secretariat of Sino-American EcoPartnerships. The proposal was subsequently approved by United States Department of State and the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
Left: the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressing attendees at the signing ceremony
Right: A group photo of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Chinese NDRC Vice Chairperson Xie Zhenhua, and other American and Chinese representatives
On the afternoon of May 3, 2012, China’s NDRC and the U.S. Department of State held a signing ceremony of Ecopartnerships in the Sunshine Hall at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse of China. U.S. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Chinese NDRC Vice Chairperson Xie Zhenhua each offered remarks and then posed for pictures.
Six partnerships were part of this ceremony: Columbus, Ohio—Hefei, Anhui; Portland, Oregon—Kunming, Yunnan; the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture’s Yangtze River Fishery Administration—the Nature Conservancy (TNC); China National Climate Change Strategy Research—International Cooperation Center; Institute of Clean Energy, Peking University—Clean Energy Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles; and China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL)—the International City Management Association (ICMA).
Left: President Huang Jin and Ms. Udy Dillinger of International City Management Association signing the letter of intention to cooperate
Right: Group photo of CUPL President Huang Jin and other Chinese representatives with the delegation of International City Management Association (ICMA)
Based on the signed letter of intention as cooperation partners in city sustainable development, CUPL and ICMA will jointly carry out projects relating to China-U.S.A city manager training programs, city management joint research, city development forums, and other academic and technical exchanges.
As agreed in the letter of intention, the cooperation will continue for at least ten years from the signature date. Each side in EcoPartnerships appoints a chief director. The director is responsible for the implementation of action plans and cooperation with other parties. The U.S. chief director is ICMA’s New Project Department Manager Ms. Udy Dillinger; the Chinese chief director is CUPL’s Vice Dean of School of Political Science and Public Administration, Lu Chunlong. CUPL Vice President Zhang Guilin, Director of Office of International Cooperation and Exchange Xu Lan, and others comprise the members of the Chinese action team.
