City of Muscatine in the US state of Iowa and China's Wanxiang America Corporation signed an agreement on Wednesday, opening the door for local students to do short-term studies at a college in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang province.

The program, part of the US State Department's "100,000 Strong Initiative" launched in 2009 by President Barack Obama to encourage 100,000 students to study in China, is formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding signed Wednesday morning.

It will facilitate a group of students from the Muscatine Community School District and Muscatine Community College to study Chinese language and culture and clean energy science at the Hangzhou Wanxiang Polytechnic College.

Officials say approximately 16 students and three adults from the area will study in Hangzhou for four weeks as part of this program, which is to begin this summer.

Robert Allee, president of Muscatine Community College, said the program will help US students understand more about the global economy.

At the signing ceremony, Chinese Consul General Zhao Weiping said Muscatine has become a symbol of friendship between China and the US, adding this program will enhance the friendship between the two countries.

President of Wanxiang America Corporation Pin Ni also said " this program will build a bridge for a better future for all of us. "

The ceremony was also attended by Muscatine Mayor DeWayne Hopkins, leaders of the Muscatine Community School District and Muscatine Community College, and other dignitaries.

Headquartered in Elgin, Illinois, Wanxiang America Corporation made its name known in the US as an auto parts maker and supplier. Data showed one in three vehicles produced in the US in 2010 were equipped with Wanxiang parts.

It now runs 23 factories in the US, hiring over 6,000 employees.