Shanghai and San Francisco will benefit from further mutual development

As leaders in technology, finance and culture, San Francisco and Shanghai have unique opportunities to further deepen economic collaboration and mutual development, mayor of the Californian city said in an event in Shanghai on Saturday.

San Francisco hopes they can learn mutually with Shanghai in the fields of electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and medical technology, and strengthen exchanges in smart cities and green and low-carbon development, said mayor of San Francisco London Nicole Breed at an event where a United States delegation led by her met 80 business leaders from technology, finance, culture and tourism sectors among others from Shanghai.

As one of the first cities to become sister cities between China and the United States, which began diplomatic ties 45 years ago, both San Francisco and Shanghai are renowned for their vibrant economies and innovative spirit, and are testaments to the transformative power of openness and diversity, said Breed at the event organized by the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce and the Bay Area Council.

"Shanghai, with its remarkable economic growth, thriving manufacturing sector and status as a global financial center, mirrors many of the attributes that makes San Francisco a fruitful place for investment," she said.

"By working together, we can unlock new avenues for economic development, innovation and cultural exchange that will benefit not just our cities, but also continue to help the global process.

"We hope that you will consider our amazing city by the bay as a viable opportunity for business growth and development," she said to the entrepreneurs in Shanghai.

When meeting Breed on the same day, Gong Zheng, mayor of Shanghai, said that the city looks forward to further strengthening its cooperation with San Francisco to achieve a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win results.

"San Francisco is home to well-known universities, scientific research institutions and technology enterprises, and is at the forefront of artificial intelligence, life sciences and other fields. We anticipate the promotion of cooperation and exchanges between universities and scientific research institutions of the two places. We welcome enterprises from San Francisco to invest and thrive in Shanghai, and we also encourage outstanding local enterprises to go to San Francisco to make investments," he said.

At the event with the business leaders, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce signed a memorandum of cooperation, which focused on resource matching and integrated development of industrial and commercial sectors of the two cities.

The Shanghai chamber said it will invite the San Francisco chamber to participate in activities, such as exchanges between diplomats and private entrepreneurs as well as meetings between governments and enterprises in sister cities. Also, the two sides plan to jointly launch an alliance of chambers of commerce from the cities that are sister cities with Shanghai.

Zou Qingling, an entrepreneur participating the event and CEO of Joyu, a smart tourism service company based in Shanghai, said that more tourism products are to develop for residents from both Shanghai and San Francisco as they show heavy interest and longing for the culture, history and lifestyle of one another.

"We found that tourists from Shanghai to San Francisco are getting younger these years, and we are receiving more orders for business delegations and conference groups from financial and technological innovation backgrounds. Such new situations reflect not only visitors' desire for in-depth cultural exchanges, but also highlight the unique charm of San Francisco's atmosphere in scientific and technological innovation," she said.