WASHINGTON Gabriel AC Milan Jersey , Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. defense chief James Mattis said Sunday en route to the Philippines that he will discuss regional security challenges with his counterparts of U.S. Asian allies and Southeast Asian nations there, the Defense Ministry said in a press release.
Mattis will participate in an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM+) to be held on Oct. 23-25, to discuss issues with his counterparts of Japan, South Korea, India and ASEAN countries. The United States and ASEAN this year marked the 40th anniversary of their cooperation.
The 10-member regional bloc groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia Franck Kessie AC Milan Jersey , Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Mattis said the bloc has played a strong role in Southeast Asia's peace, stability and economic prosperity since it was founded five decades ago.
"The U.S. remains unambiguously committed to supporting ASEAN," he noted.
During the ASEAN meeting, Mattis is slated to have a trilateral meeting with South Korea and Japan to discuss things "in a trilateral setting."
Mattis also hailed the Philippine military for liberating the southern Marawi city from pro-Islamic State group militants.
"It was a very tough fight as you know in southern Mindanao. And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists," he said.
The U.S. defense secretary embarked on his trip on Saturday to the Philippines. On Thursday, he will lead the U.S. presidential delegation to attend the royal cremation rites of late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok.
Mattis will conclude his tour with a visit to South Korea to co-chair the 49th annual security consultative meeting with his South Korean counterpart Song Young-moo.
He said he will discuss with Song how to "reinforce the diplomatic efforts ...to return to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula."
Des Moines Fabio Borini AC Milan Jersey , the United States, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- People-to-people exchanges have helped Iowa, the U.S. state in the midwest, and Hebei Province in north China, the two regions that have been separated by the Pacific Ocean since ages ago, develop a relationship like one family in a span of more than three decades.
The conclusion has been drawn by local officials from Iowa in a recent interview with Xinhua.
"When we go to Hebei, it's like going home, and they (referring to the people of Hebei) probably feel the same way, when they come here Davide Calabria AC Milan Jersey , they feel like it's their second home," said Kim Heidemann, executive director of Iowa Sister States.
"This is a very rich relationship. There are various exchanges, all sectors, from government officials to specialists and especially in agriculture, culture, art, dance," Heidemann said Cristian Zapata AC Milan Jersey , "All through these years, wide range of exchanges, not only adults, but also students, they travel back and forth between Iowa and Hebei, there are students coming in October to attend the Youth Symposium. Government officials come back and forth, there are trade delegations."
Local American officials in Iowa have all given Chinese President Xi Jinping credit for the good rapport between Iowa and Hebei, considering Xi as the person who initiated people-to-people exchanges, or citizen diplomacy Blank AC Milan Jersey , in 1985 when Xi, then a local official of Hebei, visited Iowa as a member of an agricultural delegation, and stayed at the homes of local residents and dined with others.
Iowa and Hebei, both of which had relied on agriculture for economic development, established a partnership featurng sister-state-and-province relation in 1983, with the agreement being signed by Governor Terry Branstad of Iowa and Governor Zhang Shuguang of Hebei.
"We strive to connect Iowa to the international community, the sister states relations, so for the Iowa and Hebei Antonio Donnarumma AC Milan Jersey , there is much benefits from adjusting people to know each other," said Heidemann.
Heidemann said that she personally learned a lot through the years having been worked on the Iowa-Hebei relation for ten and a half years.
"I have learned so much about China through our friends from Hebei, understanding the culture, we learned so much from each other, we believe they also learn much about America though their experience and interactions with Iowa."
Heidemann, who became the director of the Iowa Sister States three years ago, recalled when Xi Jinping revisit Muscatine, a small town in Iowa, in the capacity of China's vice president in 2012 to reunite with a dozen of his old American friends for a teatime chat there Andrea Conti AC Milan Jersey , Xi said to her: "To me, you are America."
Xi, who was elected Chinese president during the first session of the 12th National People's Congress held in March 2013, will pay a state visit to the United States in September.
"President Xi has given all of us a platform to have conversation, how important of building of international relation through citizen diplomacy, so we really appreciate that opportunity he has given us," Heidemann said.
Talking about this relationship's benefits, Heidemann said that "Hebei people not only represent China, for many of us Andre Silva AC Milan Jersey , they've become more like a family. The people we worked in Hebei, we have known each other so well through the years. We exchange gifts on behalf our kids. There is so much mutual respect, We are happy to see each side is successful, we work so hard on our projects, when we work together, we truly work together, When we make a decision, we make it mutually."
"Hebei is a window of China for us to better understand China," she said Alessio Romagnoli AC Milan Jersey , "What I think our greatest contribution of Iowa and Hebei is the relationship has produced something very tangible."
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