San Francisco Mayor London Breed has embarked on her first official visit to China, aiming to enhance local-level economic and people-to-people exchanges between San Francisco and China.
Departing on Saturday, Mayor Breed leads a delegation of San Francisco-based business and community leaders to five major Chinese cities: Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai. The delegation will engage with their Chinese counterparts to explore opportunities for cooperation before returning to San Francisco on April 21.
Reflecting on her upcoming visit, Mayor Breed expressed enthusiasm for strengthening the longstanding ties between San Francisco and China. “Our San Francisco Chinese community has shaped the history, culture, and strength of our city,” she said. “I look forward to further developing friendly cooperation during this trip.”
During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week held in San Francisco in November 2023, Mayor Breed attended a welcome dinner hosted by friendly organizations in the United States for Chinese President Xi Jinping. She appreciated President Xi’s speech titled “Galvanizing Our Peoples into a Strong Force For the Cause of China-U.S. Friendship,” where he emphasized that “the hope of the China-U.S. relationship lies in the people.”
“There is a broad community in San Francisco actively engaged in our city’s affairs with a real interest in our relationship with China,” Mayor Breed noted. “Over the decades, San Francisco has served as the United States’ gateway to Asia.”
Highlighting the potential for collaboration in innovation and technology, Mayor Breed believes that the San Francisco Bay Area and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area can strengthen communication and mutual learning. “Artificial intelligence is a huge industry in San Francisco, and China is leading the way in some of the most significant technologies. I hope we can explore more opportunities to learn from each other and grow together.”
Born and raised in San Francisco, Mayor Breed shared her personal connections to the Chinese community. “When I go to Chinatown, I always see somebody I know,” she said. “The relationship runs deep, and the opportunities are significant.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin welcomed Mayor Breed’s visit, expressing hope that it will achieve positive results and further promote cooperation and exchanges at the local level between China and the United States. “China has always supported and encouraged people from all walks of life in the two countries to have more contact and exchanges,” Wang said at a regular press briefing last week.
As Mayor Breed and her delegation engage with leaders across China, there is optimism that this visit will pave the way for enhanced collaboration, mutual understanding, and strengthened ties between San Francisco and China.
Reference(s):
San Francisco mayor keen on more U.S.-China people-to-people exchanges
cgtn.com
