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– What’s New –

Baltimore Clayworks’ Lunar New Year Exhibit

January 14th to March 25th, 2023 The BXSCC and our colleagues at the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee congratulate Clayworks on their “Lunar Project” exhibit!

Learn more about this exhibit inspired by the animals from the Asian zodiac and representing cultures from across Asia via Clayworks’ website.

16th Annual CHINA Town Hall – Baltimore

November 16th, 2022 The 16th annual CHINA Town Hall was hosted nationwide by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) and in Baltimore by the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee. The 2022 event featured former (2009-2011) Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman Jr. in a national conversation on how the U.S.-China relationship affects our cities, towns, and communities.

Registration for this virtual event was conducted via Eventbrite.

Baltimore Returns to CIFIT!

September 8th to 11th, 2022 The BXSCC and our partners returned to CIFIT this year!

Baltimore and Maryland were represented in-person at the China International Fair for Investment & Trade (CIFIT), the largest investment and trade promotion activity in China, which takes place annually in Xiamen.

Our booth at this year’s fair was presented in partnership with the Maryland Department of Commerce and Maryland Center China, with the assistance of Baltimore Development Corp. and Visit Baltimore.

BXSCC Featured in Baltimore Celebration of Immigrant Heritage Month

June 2022 The BXSCC and its efforts in support of Baltimore’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic were featured by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA) during their social media celebration of immigrants’ contribution to the City of Baltimore. See the post via Instagram.

Baltimore-Xiamen Chair Speaks at Baltimore Mayor’s “410 Report” Program

May 19th, 2022 Xin (Cindy) Wang (Chair, Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee) was one of the speakers in the 2022 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month edition of Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s “410 Report.” Other speakers included HyeSook Chung (President, Baltimore Civic Fund), Cori Dioquino (Co-Executive Director & Co-Founder, Asian Pasifika Arts Collective), and Heang Tan (Deputy Commissioner, Office of Aging). Mayor Scott and these members of our local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community celebrated the contributions and experiences of our city’s AAPI communities. With a rich history in our city, AAPI communities continue to be a thriving source of what makes Baltimore, Baltimore. The program was originally broadcasted on Thursday, May 19, 2022.

To view this program, visit CharmTV’s Facebook page for the program.

BXSCC Featured in Maryland Curiosity Bureau (WYPR) Radio / Podcast Episode ‘Baltimore’s Sister Cities: Where are they? And why them?’

March 21st, 2022 In February and March, the BXSCC and fellow sister city committees were contacted by Aaron Henkin for his WYPR program The Maryland Curiosity Bureau, where members of the public are asked “What’s got you curious about Baltimore, the region, and its people? Is there a local mystery that’s always left you scratching your head?”. The result: An eye-opening tour of Baltimore and its sister cities worldwide.

To listen to the program, visit the episode link on WYPR’s website.

– Other Highlights –

Our Home Too: A Forum in Support of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Communities

May 27, 2021 at 7:00pm-8:30pm May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM), a time when we recognize the history and achievements of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Unfortunately, the 2021 celebrations were marred by increasing rates of targeted violence against AAPI individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. These actions are rooted in our nation’s history of periodic exclusion, discrimination, racism, and xenophobia which have long been juxtaposed with the vitality, promise, and mutual benefit endowed by our diversity of backgrounds and experiences.

Friends and allies joined Baltimore Sister Cities and our partners in solidarity, community and celebration as we honored the invaluable contributions of AAPI communities in Baltimore and Maryland. During this panel discussion, we explored what AAPI heritage means to all of us: How have AAPI communities contributed to Baltimore and American history? What are AAPI communities currently doing to contribute to culture, the arts, activism, and public service in our region? What new directions are they calling for?

For more information, visit Our Home too.

BXSCC Remembers Longtime Treasurer Arella Liu with New Scholarship Program

November 2020 In memory of long-time BXSCC Treasurer Arella Liu, who passed away in October 2020 after a brief battle with late-stage cancer, the BXSCC will be establishing a scholarship for Baltimore City youth with a strong interest in China. The scholarship is projected to help fund studies of Chinese language and culture, including potential travel with Sister Cities. Arella was the originator of the BXSCC’s Youth Ambassadors program and despite, per her preference, not being one of the “faces” of the program, was key in executing the program in the background. She also loved foreign travel and bringing the Chinese language and culture into the lives of the citizens of her adopted hometown of Baltimore.

More details about this scholarship program will be announced via the BXSCC website.

City of Xiamen Donates 50,000 Surgical Masks to Baltimore

May 29th, 2020 On May 24th, a shipment of 50,000 surgical masks valued at nearly US$ 25,000 arrived at JFK Airport in New York for further transport to Baltimore. This is a gift from Baltimore’s sister city of Xiamen, China to the City of Baltimore to assist in the city’s COVID-19 response efforts. It follows an April letter of support from Xiamen Mayor Jiahan Zhuang to Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young. The masks will be kept at the Baltimore City Emergency Operations Center and distributed based on requests received from local health care institutions to meet critical shortages of this equipment.

More about this project can be found in the press releases linked to below:

Local Baltimore media reports:

Other featurettes:

  • Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. podcast
  • Sister Cities International post