While American local governments value such exchanges for financial and cultural reasons, exchange (交流) has always been viewed as a practical political tool by Beijing, and all of China s exchange organizations have been assigned political missions .
China s Influence & American Interests, Report of the Working Group on Chinese Influence Activities in the United States, by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the Center on US-China Relations at the Asia Society in New York, 2019. We will keep connecting schools in the U.S. and China one at a time . USA-China Sister Schools Association.
China has used its sister cities to boost its mask diplomacy , in which it plays both the arsonist and the firefighter, and has written about this new initiative in state media with quotes from grateful US sister cities thanking China for sending them masks.
In recent years, China, under President Xi Jinping, has seen substantial growth and sought a greater leadership role in world affairs. New equations have emerged domestically as well. As Xi fortifies his hold over the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the country, repressive policies in Tibet and Xinjiang and excessive curbs on academic freedom can pose potential political threats. At the same time, issues like ecological degradation and widening wealth disparities may add to Xi’s challenges. How Xi and the CCP aim to navigate these flashpoints will have a significant bearing on the future of the country, the party, and the president himself.