Washington, D.C.（the United States）

Washington, D.C.（the United States）

[Overview] Washington, D.C. (the District of Columbia), located along the Potomac River bordering Maryland and Virginia, is the capital and political center of the United States. It covers 176.7 square kilometers and has a population of 702,000.

[Politics] The city of Washington is under federal jurisdiction. It has no representation in the Senate and has only one non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives. The Congress reserves the right to review and veto any law passed by the city council.

Washington is governed by the city council and the city government. The city council serves as the city's legislative body. It is comprised of 13 members elected for a four-year term, including one representative elected from each of the eight wards, and five members (the Chairman included) elected at-large. The mayor, locally elected for a term of four years, serves as the city's chief executive. The current mayor, Muriel Bowser, took office in January 2015 and was re-elected in November 2018. She is the first woman re-elected to a second term as the Mayor of Washington.

[Economy] Washington is the political center of the United States. Government procurement and government-related services contribute a large part to the city's economy. About 29% of the city's jobs are provided by the government. In recent years, Washington's economy has become increasingly diversified, and the service sector, especially finance, education, health care, and tourism, has developed rapidly.

[Education] Famous universities in Washington include Georgetown University, George Washington University, and Trinity Washington University. Washington has the most educated population in the United States, with more than 50% of the residents having a bachelor's degree or higher.

[Culture and Tourism] Washington has rich historical and cultural resources. It has the world's largest museum system, and most of its museums offer free admission to visitors. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is home to the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and The Washington Ballet. Washington is one of the media centers in the U.S. and the world. The Washington Post is one of the earliest and most influential daily newspapers in the United States.

[Relations with Beijing] On May 15, 1984, Washington officially became Beijing's sister city. In recent years, the two cities have maintained close ties and enjoyed extensive exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, culture, tourism and education. In 2016, as recommended by Beijing Municipality, Washington won the Exchanges and Cooperation Award at the China International Friendship Cities Conference.

Economy and Trade: In 2015, Washington held the Invest in Washington Forum in Beijing. Representatives of the city's high-tech and real estate companies attended the forum and briefed the audience on their projects. The event attracted more than 160 Chinese companies.

Culture: In November 2019, to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the sister-city ties between Beijing and Washington, the two cities jointly organized the Beijing Day Cultural Festival in Washington, which attracted more than 1,500 visitors. The celebration included a guqin concert, a Beijing Cultural Fair, the Charming Beijing photo exhibition and other activities to showcase the unique charm of Beijing in diverse ways. The cultural festival brought an atmosphere of joy and happiness to visitors in the winter. In 2015, Mayor Muriel Bowser gave a painted panda statue to Beijing as a gift on behalf of the city of Washington. The statue, a symbol of friendship between the two cities, is now exhibited in the Children's English Reading Room of the Capital Library of China.

Tourism: In 2013, Washington joined the World Tourism Cities Federation initiated by Beijing, with its representative acting as the Federation's deputy secretary-general. In 2015, Destination DC held the Washington-themed exhibitions and tourism promotion conferences in Beijing. In 2016, as part of the China-U.S. Year of Tourism, the Charming Beijing Photo Exhibition was held at Union Station in Washington.

Education: In 2012, Beijing Yucai School signed a sister school agreement with Washington Alice Deal Middle School. By 2018, the two schools had launched 11 faculty and student exchange visits. A total of 314 teachers and students participated in the exchange program, further consolidating the friendship between the two schools.

华盛顿市（美国）

【概况】华盛顿市（全称“华盛顿哥伦比亚特区”）是美国首都和政治中心，位于马里兰州与弗吉尼亚州交界处，波托马克河畔。面积176.7平方公里，人口70.2万。

【政治】华盛顿市直属联邦政府，在联邦众议院中只有一位没有投票权的代表，在参议院中没有席位。国会保留审议或否决该市法律的权力。

市级管理机构包括市议会和市政府。市议会是该市立法机构，由13名议员组成，任期4年，其中8名议员从该市8个选区选举产生，另外5名议员（包括市议会主席）不代表特定选区。市长是华盛顿市最高行政长官，由民选产生，任期4年。现任市长穆丽尔·鲍泽于2015年1月就职，2018年11月再次当选市长，是华盛顿市首位获得连任的女市长。

【经济】华盛顿市是美国政治中心，政府采购和相关服务是固有产业，全市约29%的就业机会由政府提供。近年来，华盛顿多元化经济特征日益明显，服务业发展较快。其中，金融、教育、医疗服务、旅游等产业发展迅速。

【教育】著名高校有乔治敦大学、乔治·华盛顿大学、华盛顿圣三一大学等。居民受教育程度高，50%以上的居民拥有本科及以上学位，在全美各州中排名第一。

【文化旅游】华盛顿市拥有丰富的历史人文资源，有世界最大的博物馆体系，且多数都是免费的。约翰·肯尼迪表演艺术中心是美国国家交响乐团、华盛顿国家歌剧院和华盛顿芭蕾舞团的主要演出场所。华盛顿市是美国和国际媒体中心之一，《华盛顿邮报》是全美最早和最具影响力的日报之一。

【两市交往】1984年5月15日, 北京市与华盛顿市正式建立友好城市关系。近年来，两市交往密切，在经贸、文化、旅游、教育等领域开展了丰富多彩的合作与交流。2016年，经我市推荐，华盛顿市在中国国际友好城市大会上获得“对华友好城市交流合作奖”。

经贸领域：2015年，华盛顿市在京举办“投资华盛顿”论坛，华盛顿市高科技、房地产领域企业现场介绍相关项目，活动吸引160余家中方企业出席。

文化领域：2019年11月，为纪念结好35周年，两市在华盛顿市共同举办“北京日”活动，累计吸引1500余名观众到场。古琴音乐会、北京文化庙会、“魅力北京”图片展等活动用生动多样的形式展现北京独特魅力，为当地民众呈现了一场文化盛宴，在华盛顿市的冬日里汇成一股“北京暖流”。2015年，华盛顿市市长穆丽尔·鲍泽代表华盛顿市向我市赠送彩绘熊猫雕塑，现展放于首都图书馆少儿英文阅览室，成为两市友好情谊的象征。

旅游领域：2013年，华盛顿市加入由我市发起成立的“世界旅游城市联合会”，成为联合会副秘书长单位。2015年，华盛顿市旅游局在京举办华盛顿会展和旅游推介会。2016年，作为中美旅游年的一项推广交流活动，“魅力北京”图片展在华盛顿市联合车站展出。

教育领域：2012年，北京育才学校与华盛顿爱思德中学签署友好校协议。截至2018年，两校师生已进行11批次交流，参与师生共计 314人次，双方结下深厚友谊。

（Source: Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal Government）