Students from Fuzhou's Affiliated High School and students from Tacoma write to each other on postcards on June 26. WANG ZHENGXING/CHINA DAILY

The project ended 18 months later, but the connection between Fowler and his Fuzhou friends continued. In a trip to Fuzhou this June, Fowler managed to meet with all the three representatives, whose names he still remembers after 14 years.

"We send each other greetings every holiday and still help each other with various tasks," he said.

"One of the lasting successes of the project is our relationships. Just the number of people my Fuzhou friends asked me to go back and thank was so touching, and it shows that they clearly connected with many in Tacoma."

During his latest visit, Fowler signed a deal with the representative of the Administrative Committee of Fuzhou Area of China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

"With this agreement, we will collaborate again, focusing on helping to foster new business partnerships. I believe in peace and prosperity through trade and investment. Our focus should be looking for the win-wins, whether in city-to-city or nation-to-nation relations. The sister-city relationship between Fuzhou and Tacoma is exemplary," he said.

Rigel Adams, a graduate of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, has visited Fuzhou and other Chinese cities.

"I think that people-to-people exchange is the most important component of our bilateral ties. I find that most people that have an unfavorable view of China just don't know very much about China," Adams said of the China-US relationship.

"China and the US are the two major countries in the world, and the world will be better if we work together, cooperate and build strong personal relationships between our peoples. That starts small with a trip to China or with a Chinese person coming and visiting the US. It starts with friendship."