At the invitation of the Sister Cities Association of Sarasota to celebrate the occasion of 18 years of a Sister City partnership, and with the support of Mayor Liz Alpert, we had the honor of welcoming a distinguished delegation from our sister city, Siming District of Xiamen, China, led by Dr. Huaqi Wang, Deputy Chief of the district.

Throughout a 43-hour visit (May 13–15), the delegation enjoyed a rich itinerary including:

🌟 A warm reception at City Hall by Mayor Alpert, with the City Commission’s Proclamation 

🎓 Productive meetings with leaders at Ringling College of Art + Design and The Out-of-Door Academy

💼 Exchanges with city and county leaders from the EDC and Visit Sarasota

🏛️ Cultural tours of the Ringling Museum and Bayfront Park

🍽️ A celebratory welcome dinner hosted by SCAS, joined by over 20 members and special guests, including Vice Mayor Debbie Trice

This visit marked the 18th anniversary of our enduring sister city relationship, reaffirming our shared commitment to cultural exchange, education, tourism, and economic collaboration. 

Both sides expressed enthusiasm about future cooperation and deeper ties in the months ahead. Together, we continue to build bridges and foster mutual understanding—one visit at a time. (The visit was facilitated by the SCAS team, including Mark Pienkos, Isabelle Eidet, Kun Shi, and many volunteers. The other three delegates from Xiamen-Siming are Mr. OUYANG Enliang, Director, Foreign Affairs Office, Ms. XU Huajuan, Education Bureau Chief, and Ms. PAN Yijun, Vice Director, Economic Reform Commission.