Taizhou is a modern city created in 1996. It currently ranks as one of the most highly developed industrial and commercial cities on the Yangtze River. The City is located in Jiangsu Province on the north bank of the Yangtze River midway between Shanghai (China’s largest city) and Hangzhou. Taizhou has a population of approximately 5 million people. The climate is similar to the U.S. South Atlantic region. Taizhou’s commerce and culture is greatly influenced by maritime trade and industries, and has a strong manufacturing base currently dominated by the Pharmaceutical Industry and Chunlan Corporation. In April of 1997, Mr. Peter Lu of the China-U.S. Trade Development Association in Shanghai introduced Newport News to Taizhou. In November of 1997, an exploratory mission headed by the Vice-Mayor, Charles Allen, signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” to establish a friendship relationship between the two Cities. Almost a year later, a five-member Taizhou delegation headed by Vice Mayor Tao Xingrong visited Newport News and an official “Sister City Agreement” was signed on November 4, 1998. The Sister City program in Taizhou is administered by the Taizhou Foreign Affairs Office. Click here to visit the Taizhou website.