Connecting with Communities Around the World

Global connections fuel Cupertino’s success. Many of our residents are immigrants or first-generation Americans. Likewise, many of the products designed here are distributed around the world. Partnering with communities in other countries celebrates and enhances the international nature of our community.

We cherish our Sister City and Friendship City relationships, which foster people-to-people international diplomacy, cooperation and friendship. The Sister and Friendship City Policy was recently updated in October 2023 and can be viewed here.  

Sister Cities

A Sister City relationship is a long-term, formal agreement that may include cultural, educational, business, and technical exchanges. These relationships start with the Mayor of Cupertino and his or her counterpart from the other city formalizing a Memorandum of Understanding. Thereafter, an association of volunteers nurtures the ongoing connections. These can include visits by delegations of civic and business leaders, student exchange programs, and cultural events.

Cupertino has four established Sister City relationships:

• Copertino, Italy, formalized in 1963
• Toyokawa, Japan, formalized in 1978
• Hsinchu, Taiwan, formalized in 2007
• Bhubaneswar, India, formalized in 2012

Marking the importance of these relationships, a set of directional signs in the Civic Center courtyard point toward Cupertino’s Sister Cities (picture above-right).

Friendship Cities

Though less formal, a Friendship City relationship is also an important way to foster international cooperation at a local level. These relationships expire after two years unless renewed.

Cupertino’s current Friendship Cities include:

• New Taipei City, Taiwan
  • Approved: September 2023
  • Expires: September 2025
• Taichung, Taiwan
  • Approved: September 2023
  • Expires: September 2025
• Tongxiang, People's Republic of China
  • Approved: September 2023
  • Expires: September 2025
• Xianning, People's Republic of China
  • Approved: September 2023
  • Expires: September 2025