A river dialogue between Shanghai and New York was held on Friday, aiming to increase cooperation across economic and trade, cultural exchange, waterfront development as well as other key areas of mutual interest of the two cities.

With the theme Common Ideals and Common Future, the event promoted discussion between government officials, business leaders and urban experts from the two global metropolises through three-panel discussions on economic and trade cooperation, cultural exchange and sustainable waterfront planning.

The Huangpu River for Shanghai and the Hudson River for New York have both witnessed the development and transformation of the cities, and these metropolitan areas blessed with waterways will help deepen ties between the East and West, said Sha Hailin, president of Shanghai Public Relations Association.

Zhou Hanmin, president of the Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association, mentioned that Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng and New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed a letter of intent for friendly cooperation in May, ushering in this new chapter of partnership.

"This exemplifies the vital roles our cities can play in promoting positive China-US relations through cooperation in areas like trade, technology, culture, urban development, environmental protection and people-to-people ties," Zhou said.

He Weiwen, former economic and commercial counselor at the Chinese Consulate General in New York, noted the resilience of bilateral trade despite tensions.

"No matter how strained China-US relations become or how severe trade frictions are, after a few quarters of decline, bilateral trade will rebound from the bottom up — a very flat growth curve over the long run. This is the reality underpinned by industrial complementarity and market-driven motives of enterprises in both countries to trade with each other," said He.