HOUSTON -- Shanghai and Houston signed a memorandum in Huston on Thursday to promote each other's city image and tourism.

Under the document inked at the Houston City Hall, officials from the two cities agreed to broadcast tourism videos of the other side for a period of six months, starting March 22.

The five-minute videos will be shown on big screens at the two cities' landmark locations, TV channels and mainstream websites, including the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston and the Xintiandi in Shanghai.

"Deep mutual understanding between US and Chinese peoples is the foundation for further cooperation and exchange of the two cities," said Feng Guoqin, visiting chairman of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Feng, who is leading a 15-member Shanghai delegation in Houston, described the promotion videos as "the new model for promoting city-to-city cooperation and exchanges," adding that Shanghai will make similar arrangements with other friendly foreign cities.

The memorandum would bring the relations between Houston and Shanghai to a new level, said Houston Mayor Annise Parker.

"We believe that cultural exchanges and the promotional films of each city that will be respectively displayed in each city will help facilitate more information exchange and again change the relationship between our cities to become stronger and deeper," she said.

"For Houstonians who have never experienced the magic of Shanghai, through their television sets in their home, they are now able to see a glimpse of city," she said.

"For Shanghaiers who have never thought of Houston beyond one particular sport and basketball player Yao Ming, they will have the opportunity to see more of the city," Parker said.

On Wednesday, the Shanghai delegation also signed a similar deal in Chicago.