On June 29, 2012, Deputy Mayor, Ms. Ding Yalin, and one of her delegates, the Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Tan Yao, from Xiangyang, Hubei, officially agreed to the partnership of the City of Carmel and Xiangyang becoming Sister Cities.

The Carmel-Xiangyang Sister City initiative was implemented to create more educational, cultural and economic exchange opportunities between Carmel, Indiana and Xiangyang, Hubei. The City of Carmel looks forward to sharing its experiences and ideas relating to the arts, culture, education, trade, business and investments with Xiangyang.