When the mayor of Flagstaff, Arizona (population 58,000) traveled to China, a clash of cultures was expected. Instead, common ground was found:
http://www.naztoday.com/news/top-stories/2009/09/small-town-mayor-big-time-trip/
Mayor Sara Presler took part in a State Department-sponsored trip. While touring various Chinese cities, she tried to find connections. As the article notes:
"Establishing connections and mutual appreciation for differences and similarities between political, cultural, social and economical aspects of China and the U.S. was the mayor’s main goal as she met with several of China’s leaders."
Apparently, the mayor succeeded:
"But one strong similarity that Presler noticed between Flagstaff and China was in the style of public art. Presler witnessed groups of Chinese citizens dancing to Salsa music and saw the mutual appreciation for the arts, regardless of the censorship the communist government imposes on free speech."
Presler returned home with great pride in her mid-sized city and a new realization of how her city is not unlike cities in other parts of the world.
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