由于事先确定的工作安排，今天我不能到场参加会议，但是，负责匹兹堡市国际事务的匹兹堡经发局局长木鲁盖塔·布鲁先生特地代表我来参加这次友城大会。这次，他专程率代表团来汉参会，代表团由有关政府官员和一些企业的负责人组成。
　　今年，我们怀着喜悦的心情庆祝武汉和匹兹堡两市建立友城二十周年。当初，艾森豪威尔总统大力提倡世界各国城市之间互相建立友城关系，他认为这种方式 能够保证美国人民和世界其他国家的人民保持联系、互通信息。在过去的二十年当中，我们两市之间的友城关系达到了这一目的，并取得了进一步的发展，上升到了一个新的高度。两市人民认为这种关系使他们得以相互认识和了解对方独特的文化，更重要的是，通过经济和教育交流，人们认识到这种友好关系成为推动我们所处时代进步的一种途径。
　　我们两市最初的联系源于相似的传统优势，两市都曾是本国工业经济的中心，都座落在江河和铁路干道汇合处。我们相似的历史，促使我们进行相似的变革，注定我们拥有相似的未来。正如匹兹堡摆脱对钢铁工业的依赖进而寻求多元化、高科技、以服务业为导向的经济体制一样，武汉也在寻求重建其经济基础并将先进的技术和信息引入经济和教育体系，争取创造出一个令居住于此的市民们引以为荣的现代化城市。尽管匹兹堡有些公司对与武汉的企业进行合作不甚了解，但他们对此兴趣日增。
　　作为西方经济变革一个著名的成功范例，匹兹堡崛起于二十世纪。匹兹堡对过去由于环境因素的限制而设立的一些工业用地（褐色地）进行补救的能力使之在该领域位于世界领先地位。不过，匹兹堡在环境方面创造的奇迹相对其意义更深远的城市复兴而言，仅仅是一个背景。匹兹堡大学进行的卓越不凡的研究工作，尤其是在卫生科学和材料工程领域的研究水平，以及卡耐基梅隆大学在信息技术、软件工程和机器人领域的世界闻名的优势技术，加上美国人的进取精神，这一切产生了在经贸领域不可胜数的实际运用成果和大量的起步公司，可以预见，21世纪的知识经济将在这座"知识城市"中繁荣昌盛。
　　同样，武汉也已走上了通往改革的道路，武汉市的领导人保持着必要的远见，这种远见将使市民们切身感受到21世纪给他们带来的利益。因此，我们两市之间真实密切的关系产生于面临几乎完全相同的挑战以及拥有杰出成就的经验。匹兹堡人民期待着与友城人民并肩携手地在同一道路上前进并分享各自的经验。我们的大量公司工业技术力量雄厚，配套系统完善。武汉的公司可以利用这些技术和实际运用成果，以提高效率和在国际市场上的竞争力。
　　自从1982年9月17日加里盖瑞市长和黎智市长签署友城协议以来，匹兹堡的市长们就开始不断地到武汉访问，向武汉人民表达我们发自内心的友谊，并寻求更大规模的合作机会。加里盖瑞市长是这种传统的创始者，苏菲·马斯罗夫市长继承了这一传统，今年11月份我也将第二次来汉访问。
　　自从我五年前访汉以来，匹兹堡和武汉在交流方面都十分活跃。目前，不仅仅是政府之间形成了合作伙伴关系，企业之间、大学之间、图书馆之间、高校和医院之间以及文化团体之间都已建立了各式各样密切的联系。下面是双方近几年的交流情况简介：
1998年，我第一次出访武汉，亲身体验到了两市的相似之处和在双方密切合作中存在的潜在利益。我充分认识到这一点，并和武汉市签署了一个协议，以保证匹兹堡将继续和武汉市发展经济和文化交流。
　　1999年，我们两次接待了来自武汉的代表团，他们来访的目的是研究并考察匹兹堡在环境改造方面的成就。
　　2000年10月，杰夫·莫比先生率领匹兹堡第一个官方贸易代表团访汉，他们不仅会晤了政府官员，还和供应商、分销商以及有关客户进行了会谈。武汉市派出第一任政府代表计蕾女士驻匹兹堡，她所作的工作帮助武汉市加强了和匹兹堡当地及大匹兹堡地区公司、机构之间的经贸合作关系。
　　2001年是双方的交流极为活跃的一年。年初，布鲁博士返汉与殷增涛副市长和袁善腊副市长就加强与匹兹堡公司的合作进行了深入会谈。同年，毛冬声先生也曾赴匹兹堡，与购物中心、超市和综合办公楼的负责人共同探讨存在的商机。同年10月，尽管发生了"9·11"恐怖主义袭击事件，布鲁博士仍然率领当年第二个经贸代表团赴汉，并与武汉方面的有关合作者进行了商务洽谈。由于局势的影响，代表团的人数大大减少，但令我们自豪的是，尽管发生了那样的灾难，为数不少的商界人士和市政领导人还是到武汉来了。
　　今年是两市建立友城二十周年，经贸代表团的互访和交流活动更加频繁。今年春天，我们十分荣幸地接待了武汉市前市长周济先生一行，这一访问标志着两市友城关系二十周年庆祝活动的开始。他的来访极为成功，也为我们的中国友城争取到巨大的自身利益开辟了渠道。过去的六个月中，在武汉市第二任代表黄立群博士的协助之下，我们得以继续为双方的经济发展创造机遇。在友城论坛举行之前，匹兹堡已经接待了本年度武汉市第二次官方代表团和第三次官方经贸代表团的来访。他们专程来匹兹堡庆祝友城协议签署二十周年，和匹市众多的高科技公司进行了不断深入的会谈，并参加了二十周年纪念节日庆典。9月21日，匹市为庆祝友城二十周年举行了盛大的节日庆典，对中美文化、饮食等的展示异彩纷呈，参加庆祝活动的人们在新建的北岸河边公园尽情地享受节日的欢乐。而且，今年11月，我还将率年度第三个贸易代表团再一次访问武汉，为发展双方的合作关系继续努力，为我们两个大城市在二十一世纪的共同成长与繁荣寻找新的途径。
　　通过彼此的交往，我们对中国与武汉都有了许多了解。我们的市民取得的最重要的经验就是，我们可以利用电子邮件和航空的便利来连接世界，建立并跨越连接全球的桥梁，为无数的机构和组织创造新的发展机会。我们相信，通过贸易、技术和教育交流，我们不仅可以共同获得经济利益，同时还可以实现人与人之间珍贵的文化交流。
　　随着中国在地球这个大家庭里日益增长的份量，我们期待着开发新的合作关系并开创新的事业。我们相信，随着我们继续以经济和教育交流为重点，我们的未来会取得持续不断的胜利。


Speech by Mayor of Pittsburgh,the United States

I could not attend today because of previous commitments; however, I am being represented by Dr. Mulugetta Birru, Executive Director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority, which oversees international affairs for the city. He is heading a delegation of elected officials and business executives.

It is with great pleasure that we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Pittsburgh-Wuhan sister city relationship. Sister Cites were initiated by President Eisenhower as a means to insure that Americans would remain in touch with the diverse peoples making up our world. Over the past two decades, our sister city has achieved this goal and furthermore advanced this relationship to a new level. The peoples of our two cities have valued our connection as a means to get to know and understand each other’s unique cultures, but more importantly, have found in it a vehicle to improve the societies in which we live through economic and educational exchange.

The original connection between our two cities was our twin traditions as the hearts of our national industrial economies and centers of river and rail logistics. This common history is matched by our parallel transformations and common future. As Pittsburgh shed its dependence on steel and sought a diverse, high-tech, service oriented economy, improved public health, and a clean environment, so too does Wuhan seek to restructure its economic base and inject advanced technology and information into its economic and educational systems, and create a modern city in which its citizens can be proud to live.

Pittsburgh emerged from the 20th century as one of the most notable examples of successful economic transformation in the West. Pittsburgh’s capability to remediate environmentally compromised industrial sites (brownfields) makes it a world leader in this category. However, the Pittsburgh environmental miracle is only the background for a more profound renaissance. The exceptional quality of research performed in the University of Pittsburgh, especially in the fields of health sciences and material engineering, combined with the world-renowned technical expertise of Carnegie Mellon University in the fields of information technology, software engineering, and robotics, and infused with the American spirit of entrepreneurship has produced countless commercial applications and numerous start-up companies to insure that the 21st Century knowledge economy will thrive in this knowledge city.

Wuhan too has embarked on a road to transformation, and its leadership has maintained the vision necessary to deliver the benefits that the 21st century offers to its citizens. Thus, our two cities’ true kinship is born from the experience of facing near-identical challenges and enjoying outstanding successes. The people of Pittsburgh look forward to continuing to walk this road with its sister city, and to sharing our own experiences. We have numerous companies with strong technical and industrial technologies as well as their support systems. These technologies and applications can be utilized by Wuhan companies to improve efficiency and become more competitive in the global marketplace. Many of these companies have yet to cross our bridges, but are increasingly curious about what is on the other side.

Since Mayor Caliguiri signed the sister city agreement with Mayor Li Zhi on September 17th, 1982, Pittsburgh mayors have repeatedly journeyed to Wuhan to meet the people of this great city, express our heartfelt friendship, and to learn of the opportunities for greater cooperation. Mayor Caliguiri started this tradition; Mayor Sophie Masloff continued it, and this November I will return to Wuhan for my second trip.

Since my last visit, five years ago, Pittsburgh and Wuhan have been especially active. Currently partnerships are forming not only between our governments, but also corporations, universities, libraries, high schools, hospitals, and cultural organizations. Here is a brief overview of the development of our recent exchange programs:

In 1998, I traveled to Wuhan for the first time to see first hand the similarities between our cities and the potential benefits of our close cooperation. Recognizing this I signed an agreement pledging Pittsburgh’s commitment to continue economic and cultural development with the City of Wuhan.

In 1999, we hosted two delegations from Wuhan in Pittsburgh whose mission was to study Pittsburgh’s environmental transformation.

In October of 2000, our first official trade mission to Wuhan was led by Jeff Morby. Meetings were arranged with customers, suppliers, distributors, as well as government officials. The year 2000 marked the arrival in Pittsburgh of Wuhan’s first representative, Ms. Ji Lei. Her presence helped to further strengthen and develop business relationships with local and regional companies and institutions.

The year 2001 was extremely active. The year began with Dr. Mulugetta Birru returning to Wuhan for in-depth discussions with Vice Mayor Yin and Deputy Mayor Yuan on strategies to increase cooperation with Pittsburgh’s companies. That year Mr. Mao Dongsheng also paid a visit to Pittsburgh to discuss business opportunities with executives of shopping centers, supermarkets, and office complexes. In October of 2001, despite the terrorist attack of 9-11, Pittsburgh’s second annual trade mission to Wuhan, led by Dr. Mulugetta Birru, arrived for business meetings with our Wuhan partners. Due to the uncertainty of that time, the number of our delegation was greatly reduced; however, we are proud that despite such adversity a good number of business men and civic leaders still made the trip.


This year, 2002, the year of our 20th anniversary, we have been continually involved in numerous trade missions and exchange programs. In the spring of this year, 2002, we were honored to welcome then Mayor Zhou Ji to our city to commence the 20th anniversary celebrations. His visit was an enormous success, and the source of tremendous local interest in our Chinese sister city. Over the course of the past six months, with the assistance of Wuhan’s second visiting representative, Dr. Huang Liqun, we have continued to generate new opportunities for our mutual economic development. By the time this friendly cities forum is held, Pittsburgh will have hosted a second official business delegation and a third official delegation. They will have journeyed to Pittsburgh to celebrate the 20th anniversary day of the sister city agreement signing itself, to conduct ongoing discussion with numerous Pittsburgh high-tech firms, and to join in the 20th anniversary festival celebration. On September 21st, the city of Pittsburgh will have celebrated en masse our 20th anniversary year with a grand pageant of Chinese and American culture, cuisine, and sport along our beautiful new North Side Riverfront Park. Furthermore, in November this year, I will return to Wuhan to lead our third annual trade mission to continue to develop our partnership and to seek out new avenues for our two great cities to grow and prosper together in the 21st Century.

Through our exchanges we have learned much about Wuhan and China. One of the most important lessons for our citizens is that we can build bridges that span the globe and cross over them with the ease of e-mail and airlines to create new growth opportunities for a myriad of organizations. We believe that through trade, technology, and educational exchange we can not only produce mutual economic benefits, but will also achieve valuable person to person intercultural exchange. With China’s growing participation in the global village, we look forward to developing new partnerships and implementing bold initiatives. We believe that with a continued focus on economic and educational exchange, ours will be a future filled with continued success.