A Dialogue Between the Yangtze and the Mississippi—Co-building a New Platform for River Development

Text by He Sai & Bo Ning Photos by Cai Jun

长江 The Yangtze River

密西西比河 The Mississippi River

2019年8月22日，长江和密西西比河流域合作研讨会在湖北武汉举行。 The 2019 Mississippi-Yangtze Cooperation Seminar kicked off on August 22 in Wuhan, capital city of Hubei Province.

On the afternoon of August 23, 2019, more than a dozen American guests visited the Jar Mountain Tourist Area on the Three Gorges Dam of the Yangtze River in the scorching heat of summer. While cooling themselves with paper fans, they overlooked the ships passing through the fivegrade ship lock and discussed the spectacular centurial project erected in front of them.

These experts in legislation and policy research are from the states along the Mississippi River in the United States. They brought greetings from their homeland to the Yangtze River. They came to Hubei Province to attend the “Mississippi-Yangtze Cooperation Seminar,” in the hope of joining hands with their Chinese counterparts, building a platform for exchange over river management, protection and development, and looking for opportunities for cooperation between the two sides. Many representatives from provinces and cities in the drainage basin of the Yangtze River on the Chinese side attended the meeting and shared relevant experiences.

Two Important Rivers

The Yangtze River and the Mississippi River share a lot in common. They are both the main rivers in their respective countries, nourishing vast lands and making up the main area for agricultural development in their own countries. Rice, corn, soybeans, and cotton are the main agricultural products in both basins, which play a very important role in the national strategies of the two countries. Meanwhile, the two rivers' drainage basins are both prominent culture-nurturing regions for their own countries. This is especially so for the Yangtze River, whose basin has nourished multiple cultures and boasts innumerous cultural relics, making it an important cultural corridor and treasure trove in China. Besides, both rivers are important leisure and sightseeing regions, providing a large number of jobs in leisure tourism along the river and bringing along huge social value. Both rivers boast developed shipping industries and are major logistics channels in their own countries. Last but not least, they provide a water source to lakes along them, becoming the lifeline of freshwater ecosystems in lakes.

2019年8月23日下午，十多位美国人顶着炎夏骄阳，站在中国长江三峡大坝坛子岭上，俯瞰岭下大坝五级船闸和过往船只。他们边摇着纸扇解暑，边议论着眼前壮观的世纪工程。他们是来自美国密西西比河流域各州立法机关及政策研究方面的专家，是把密西西比河的问候带给长江的使者。

这些专家此次造访湖北，是出席“长江和密西西比河流域合作研讨会”，抱着与中国同行携手，在长江和密西西比之间搭建起河道治理、保护和开发利用的平台，寻找双方合作机遇的期许而来。中方长江流域各省市代表也都参加会议并交流了相关经验。

双方代表就长江与密西西比河在开发利用、环境保护和灾害防控等方面进行探讨。 Representatives from China and US offered their opinions on the exploration, environment protection and disaster control from the perspective of respective rivers.

嘉宾认真聆听交流发言。 The audience listening attentively to the speeches

两河共荣

长江与密西西比两条河流有许多相同之处。同为各自国家主要河流，滋润着广袤的土地，是两国农业发展的主要区域，水稻、玉米、大豆、棉花是两个流域共同的农作物品种，在两国国家战略中起着非常重要的作用；同时，长江和密西西比河同为两国文化的重要承载区域，特别是长江，流域范围内多种文化交汇，文化遗迹遍布，是中国重要的文化长廊和宝库；而且，两河均为各自国家重要的休闲观光地带，沿江沿河休闲旅游观光解决了大量人口就业问题，社会价值十分突出；另外，两河的航运都非常发达，均为各自国家的物流大通道，是各自国家的黄金水道；再者，对沿江湖泊续水，使得这两条大河成为湖泊淡水产品养殖的生命水源。

长期以来，两河都面临着共同的挑战。生态保护、合理开发利用、洪水防控、资金筹措、循环经济等，是专家们共同关心的话题。

两河所不同的是，长江发源于“世界屋脊”，流经中国地形的第一至第三阶梯，落差达到几千米，水力资源丰富，而密西西比河流域面积虽然比长江流域面积大，但水量比长江小。该河发源于密苏里河源头的艾斯塔卡湖，海拔仅500多米，全流域地势低平，水力资源开发难度较大。

与会嘉宾参观湖北省博物馆。 Participants to the seminar were invited to visit the Hubei Museum.

长江三峡景区摊点上小商品玲琅满目 A US representative was attracted by the small souvenirs on the stalls in the Three Gorges Scenic Spot.

For a long time, both rivers have faced common challenges and experts in the two countries share common concerns regarding ecological protection, rational development and utilization, flood prevention and control, fund raising, and circular economy.

The difference between the two rivers is that the Yangtze River originates from the “roof of the world” and flows from west to east in the terrain. The drop of elevation of several kilometers brings along abundant water resources. As for the Mississippi River, even though its drainage basin is larger than that of the Yangtze River, its amount of water is smaller than that of the latter. It originates from the Lake Itasca, the source of the Missouri River, which has an altitude of only a bit over 500 meters. As a result, the whole basin is flat and low-lying, making it difficult to develop hydraulic resources.

An Unforgettable Journey

The second stage of the seminar was arranged on the Three Gorges Ship No. 6 of the Yangtze River by Chinese hosts. American experts boarded the ship from the 9th pier in Yichang, Hubei Province, and went all the way to the foot of the Three Gorges Dam, where they would go ashore. On their way their ship crossed the navigation lock of the Gezhouba Water Conservancy Project, the first dam on the Yangtze River, and took them to the beautiful scenery of Xiling Gorge, after which they proceeded with the exchange section in the seminar.

When the ship stopped shortly in front of the Gezhouba dam gate, getting ready to enter, foreign guests flocked to the front of the ship to take a photo of the opening gate. After the ship entered the gate, they rushed to the stern to record the moments of the closing gate. The experience seemed so rare and novel to them that they were running back and forth all the while between the bow and the stern. Some of them simply clung to the railing and looked out quietly at the water, enjoying the experience of the ship floating up while water was being injected into the lock chamber.

嘉宾参观武汉大学 Representatives visiting Wuhan University

难忘旅程

中方把研讨会第二阶段议程设在长江三峡6号轮上，美国专家从湖北省宜昌九码头上船，一直行进到长江三峡大坝脚下上岸，沿途体验轮船过长江第一坝——葛洲坝水利枢纽船闸，领略一段长江西陵峡风光之后，再进行研讨会第二阶段交流。

客轮在葛洲坝闸口前稍作停留，当船重新启动准备进闸时，外宾们纷纷涌向轮船的前部，拍下难忘的闸门开启镜头，等船身全部进闸闸门关闭之时，他们又鱼贯涌向船尾，记录下人生中难得的瞬间。他们似乎很少有这样的体验，整个过程，他们都在船头和船尾间来回奔走，有几位甚至扒在栏杆上，看着水面，静静体验船闸注水和轮船上浮的感觉。

研讨会开始了，大家还对两岸美景恋恋不舍，詹姆斯·莱文斯干脆跑上台拿起话筒说：“船外的风景的确太美了，真的，但为了发言，我不得不放弃这美妙的景观。”

回来的路上，美国驻武汉总领事馆经济处处长孟千里总结说，这次会议开得很成功，大家都觉得收获颇丰，湖北的接待和安排非常周到体贴，尤其是把大家安排在长江轮船上开会并体验水电站、观看两岸美景，在大家脑海里烙下了深深的印记。大家都希望这个研讨会形成定制，每隔一段时间交流一次，一定会对双方大有裨益。

共待深远

这次研讨会，双方代表形成了一个重要共识，长江和密西西比河同为世界重要河流，河流治理的好坏、开发利用和生态保护程度的高低，直接关系着两个国家的社会发展和民生福祉，也关系着世界水资源利用和保护大业。

美方代表团团长、来自密西西比流域田纳西州的安德鲁·霍金表示：“我们对于经济、环境方面的有效对话，将促进双方合作，达成双赢。”他认为这次研讨会是意义深远的会议，湖北炎热的天气、周密的会议组织、会议涉及的主题和内容都给他留下了深刻印象，他希望双方在两河航运、城市群发展、经济区建设方面，能够充分交流，实现共赢；在水、环境和生态保护方面能够探索合作。

美国驻武汉总领事傅杰明说：“从湖北小龙虾产业发展来看，长江和密西西比河机会还有很多！”多年前，来自美国路易斯安那州的人将当地小龙虾带到中国，如今，小龙虾成了中国人气美食，市场巨大，在路易斯安那州，人们同样爱吃小龙虾。他说：“几十年来，中国变化巨大，城市道路宽阔，高楼林立，但有一件事没变，就是不断改善人民生活品质的决心，这正是未来两国、‘两河’合作的交叉点。”

向导向外国嘉宾介绍长江三峡景区The guide introducing the Three Gorges Scenic Spot to the US guests

When the seminar resumed, everyone was reluctant to leave the deck. James Levins, one of the American speakers even commented when he went up onto the stage that, “The scenery outside is so beautiful that I really hate to give up on it for this speech.”

On their way back, Charley Montgomery, the Economic Section Chief of the US Consulate General in Wuhan, concluded that the seminar was very successful and everyone found it rewarding. The reception and arrangement by Hubei Province was considerate and thoughtful, especially the part of arranging the meeting on the ship. Everyone was impressed by what they saw, from the magnificent hydropower station to the beautiful scenery along the river. They hope that this seminar could be held on a regular basis, which would lead to more exchanges and benefit both parties.

Promising Prospect

During the seminar, representatives of the two sides reached an important consensus. The Yangtze River and the Mississippi River are both important rivers in the world. Therefore, the quality of river management, the level of their development and utilization, and the degree of their ecological protection are directly related to both countries' social development and welfare. It is also relevant to the global cause of water resources utilization and protection.

Andrew Hogin, the head of the US delegation, who's from Tennessee, a state located in the Mississippi Basin, said: “Our effective dialogue on economy and environment will promote cooperation between two sides and achieve a win-win situation.” He believes that this seminar will have far-reaching significance. Despite the hot summer in Hubei, He was deeply impressed by the careful organization of the conference, and the topics and contents involved in the conference. He hoped that the two sides could fully communicate with each other on river shipping, urban development and economic zone construction, so as to achieve a win-win outcome and to explore cooperation in water, environmental, and ecological protection.

Jamie Fouss, the Consul General of the United States in Wuhan, said: “Given the development of the crayfish industry in Hubei, I can see many promising opportunities for the Yangtze River and the Mississippi River.” Many years ago, people from the State of Louisiana in the United States brought local crayfish to China, which has become a popular Chinese dish and created a huge market here. In Louisiana, people like to eat crayfish as well. He said: “For decades, China has undergone tremendous changes, we see wider roads and more highrise buildings. But one thing remained unchanged, that is, the determination to continuously improve the quality of people's lives. This is the intersection of future cooperation between our two countries and the two rivers.”

Having learned that Wuhan is building a sponge city and is actively responding to urban waterlogging problems, Daniele Fulfs, a representative from the State of Massachusetts expressed his interest in relevant experiences of Wuhan: “I hope we can learn and solve these remaining problems together, making our cities more resilient, and providing more renewable resources for all walks of life.”

(Translation: Lu Qiongyao)

来自马萨诸塞州的代表丹尼尔·福弗斯了解到，武汉正在建设海绵城市，并积极应对城市渍水问题，对武汉的相关经验充满兴趣：“希望我们一起交流学习，一同解决难题，让我们的城市更有‘韧性’，各行各业都有可再生资源可用。”

嘉宾在三峡大坝185观景平台前合影留念 Group photo of participants to the seminar in front of the 185 Platform of the Three Gorges Scenic Spot