CHICAGO, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A delegation from China's Haiyan county, Zhejiang Province, visited its sister city Batesville in Indiana state of the United States, local media reported on Wednesday.

According to the news release of city of Batesville, Mayor Mike Bettice and members of his staff, Batesville school officials and the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a reception on Monday for the Chinese delegation from Haiyan county of Zhejiang Province.

"We feel very honored and pleased to have the opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Batesville," Zhu Beihua, vice director of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Haiyan County, said in the opening remarks.

For his part, Mayor Bettice said "Our two cities are vastly different in many ways, for example, Haiyan County has a much larger population. However, we found plenty of common ground and I believe our hospitality, educational programs and culture made a positive impact on them."

The visit will include in-depth discussion, along with tours of the Batesville Community School Corporation Chinese Immersion Program, local businesses, and cultural amenities such as Batesville's trail system and historical center.

Haiyan county and city of Batesville signed up sister city agreement in 2013, to promote exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, science and technology, culture and education.

Batesville is one of twelve Indiana cities to have a sister-city relationship with a community in Chinese Zhejiang Province.