SHANGHAI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 experts gathered in Shanghai to commemorate the Chinese workers' contribution to a major U.S. railroad built in the 1860s and share suggestions on strengthening civilian communication between both countries.

This year marks the 150 anniversary of the completion of the Pacific Railroad, the first railroad across the east and the west of the U.S. that brought huge changes in the country's economic and social development.

Hundreds of thousands of Chinese participated in the construction of the railroad.

"Maybe there is a way that we can honor their memory, and honor their sacrifice by helping build good relations and maybe build a bridge between East and West that allows for sharing our ideas and opportunities," Eric Hutchings, a member of the Utah House of Representatives, said Tuesday.

Utah is where the west part of the Pacific Railroad and the east part join together.

"America and China have had a really good history for a very long time. For hundreds of years, even before Utah was a state, U.S. relations with China were already very good and developing," said Hutchings.

Xie Yuan, vice president of Chinese people's association for friendship with foreign countries, said civilian communication has been and will continue to be the foundation of the development of the bilateral relations.

There are now 50 pairs of sister states/provinces and 227 pairs of sister cities between China and the U.S.