In the 1980’s and 90’s, Long Beach continued to build relationships around the globe adding Pohang, Korea, and Qingdao, China. In 1989, Sochi, Russia; Meru, Kenya, in 1991, followed by Bacolod, Philippines, and San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 1994, brought the total number of cities affiliated with the Sister Cities program to nine. Because of previous rules governed by SCI that allow for a city to only have one Sister City per country, Sister Cities of Long Beach, Inc., established new type of relationship called Friendship City was established. In 2015 Rosarito Beach, Mexico, was approved, and in 2016 we welcomed Venice, Italy, as a Friendship City.