Gong Zheng delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the 2024 China-California Business Forum.[Photo/WeChat account "Shanghai Fabu"]

Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng highlighted the crucial role subnational cooperation plays in enhancing relations between China and the United States during a recent visit to California.  

Gong led a delegation to visit the US state from May 19 to 22. During the trip, Gong met with his Los Angeles and San Francisco counterparts, as well as attended the opening ceremony of the 2024 China-California Business Forum.

In a keynote speech delivered at the forum, Gong underscored successful collaborative projects between Shanghai and California such as Tesla's Shanghai factory and Shanghai Disneyland. 

He expressed anticipation for future Shanghai-California cooperation in the fields of tech innovation, trade and investment, low-carbon development, and people-to-people exchanges. 

Gong meets with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.[Photo/WeChat account "Shanghai Fabu"] 

During his meeting with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Gong emphasized the pivotal role that friendly exchanges between Shanghai and Los Angeles have played in the development of Sino-US relations. 

He also mentioned the successful cooperation between the two cities in low-carbon development, particularly the Shangha-LA green shipping corridor.

Gong called for both cities to leverage their strengths and explore other diverse forms of cooperation.

In San Francisco, Shanghai's first friendship city in the US, Gong praised the solid foundation of friendship built between the two cities over the past 45 years. He said he looks forward to further cooperation and exchanges in areas such as technology innovation, investment, environmental protection, and youth exchanges. 

Gong meets with San Francisco Mayor London Breed.[Photo/WeChat account "Shanghai Fabu"]

Gong and San Francisco Mayor London Breed jointly signed a new memorandum of cooperation covering various fields, including economy, culture and tourism, sports, the environment, sustainable development, and urban governance.

The Shanghai delegation also visited the Walt Disney Imagineering Headquarters, the Plug and Play Tech Center, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. They also engaged in extensive exchanges with key figures from the California business community. 

Source: WeChat account "Shanghai Fabu"