“Shanghai Nanjing Plus” 2025: “Exploring Perspectives on China–U.S. Relations” Series: Visit Hefei (1)

2025/10/14

On October 12, 2025, the “Shanghai Nanjing Plus” 2025 delegation of American early- and mid-career experts and scholars arrived at the second stop of this year’s program—Hefei City, Anhui Province. As one of China’s leading hubs for scientific and technological innovation, Hefei boasts notable strengths and achievements in the fields of new energy vehicles, integrated circuits, and biopharmaceuticals.Hefei is one of China’s most important hubs for scientific and technological innovation, with notable strengths and representative achievements in new energy vehicles, integrated circuits, and biopharmaceutical industries. From October 12 to 13, the delegation will visit a series of innovative manufacturing enterprises and research institutions in Hefei and engage in dialogues with experts and scholars in related fields.

That afternoon, the delegation  began their visitfirst visited at the Shushan Pavilion of the Anhui Museum, where they explored a rich collection of bronzes, pottery, and other cultural relics exploring a rich collection of from the Shang and Zhou Dynastyies bronzes, pottery, and other cultural relics, and gained a  had up-close appreciation of the distinctive features exposure to of the distinctive Huizhou Ancient Architecture.

Group Photo in front of the Anhui Museum

Visited the Museum under the Guidance of a Docent

Subsequently, tThe delegation then visited the Urban Air Mobility Operation Center located in Luogang Park, Hefei. The center is managed operated by Hefei HeYi Aviation Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as HeYi Aviation). HeYi Aviation is, a joint venture established between by Hefei’s state-owned capital platform and EHang, that  focusesing on the commercial operation of urban air mobility. In March 2025, HeYi Aviation was awardedreceived the world’s first civil unmanned aerial vehicle operations certificate byfrom the Civil Aviation Administration of China, establishsecuring a leading position in the fieldindustry.

At the operations center, the delegation watched a flight demonstration of the EH216-S manned electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft and then boarded the 16-rotor vehicle to experience it firsthandentered the aircraft to experience firsthand this 16-rotor aerial vehicle.

Watch a Flight Demonstration

Test Ride of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

 

The delegates engaged in a lively discussion with the staff of the operation center, learning about technical development, operational licensing, production and sales, as well as the riding experience of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Engage in Discussion with the Staff of the Operation Center

On the evening of October 12, the delegation was invited to attend the dialogue and dinner event titled “History Lights the Way, Peace Bridges the World—Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.”

Group Photo
 

Wang Nianbao, Vice President of Anhui Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and John Urban, Deputy American Co-Director of the Nanjing University–Johns Hopkins University Center for Chinese and American Studies, delivered remarks respectively. The event was moderated by Wang Tianchan, Research Fellow from the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. More than 40 young and middle-aged representatives from Anhui’s political, business, and academic sectors attended the event and engaged in in-depth discussions with the “Shanghai Nanjing Plus” 2025 delegation.

Photo from the Event

Vice President Wang Nianbao, on behalf of the Anhui Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, extended a warm welcome to the delegation. He introduced Anhui Province’s strong innovation momentum, robust manufacturing industry, superior ecological resources, unique geographical advantages, and rich cultural heritage. He also reviewed the longstanding history of friendship and exchanges between the People of Anhui Province and the People of the United States, expressing the hope that through exchange programs like this, participants would reflect on history and work together through concrete actions to build a shared future.

Wang Nianbao, Vice President of Anhui Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Delivers Remarks

Deputy American Co-Director John Urban, on behalf of the Nanjing University–Johns Hopkins University Center for Chinese and American Studies and the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, expressed gratitude to the Anhui Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries for its strong support of the “Shanghai Nanjing Plus” 2025 program. He noted that Hefei, despite being a leading city in technological innovation and manufacturing, is often overlooked by American experts and scholars. This year’s “Shanghai Nanjing Plus” program, by bringing American early- and mid-career experts and scholars to Hefei, has created valuable opportunities for practical exchanges, helping to strengthen the bonds among young American and Chinese leaders and promote the healthy development of U.S.-China relations.

John Urban, Deputy American Co-Director of the Nanjing University–Johns Hopkins University Center for Chinese and American Studies, Delivers Remarks

Wang Tianchan, Research Fellow from the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, Hosts the Event

At the exchange session, Chinese and American representatives engaged in an in-depth and candid dialogue on topics such as their respective professional fields, industrial development, and China-U.S. relations.

Dialogue and Exchange Between Chinese and American Young and Middle-Aged Representatives