A new multimedia exhibit with more than 300 historic photos commemorating the 40th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic ties and nearly a decade of the Shanghai-Houston sister city relationship is on public display in Houston since July 17, followed by a week-long promotion of the bilateral relation and business cooperation.

The exhibit, held at the Marriott Marquis Houston, is themed “Trans-Pacific Exchange and Cooperation – Shanghai Commemorates the 40th Anniversary of China-U.S. Diplomatic Relations”. It provides a unique window into the reform and opening-up of China from the viewpoint of Shanghai, which has participated in key moments of the China-U.S. relationship, including business, trade, sister city, cultural and other collaborations and exchanges between Shanghai and U.S. local governments and people.

The exhibition is divided into five parts and features over 300 photographs documenting the exchange and cooperation between Shanghai and the U.S., beginning with the issuance of the Shanghai Communiqué by both countries (also known as the Joint Communiqué of the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China) which affirmed the importance of normalization of relations. The photos were selected from over 3,000 entries submitted across Shanghai.

Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the United States, sent a congratulatory letter to the summit. He said that 40 years ago, the people of Houston sent a cowboy hat to the then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, which had become a classic symbol of the friendship between the two countries. Cui said the exhibition was a vivid example of the development of bilateral relations, and people in Shanghai and Houston are sharing the historic moments.

As a pioneer in reform and opening-up, Shanghai witnessed the early stages of China-U.S. relations and was of great significance in the evolution of China-U.S. ties. The Foreign Affairs Office of the municipal government jointly co-hosted the exhibit with Shanghai Municipal Archives, the Information Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, and Eastday.com. The same exhibition opened earlier this month at the Shanghai Archives.