San Francisco Sacred Heart School students experience diabolo Photo: Courtesy of Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchange Center

London Breed, the mayor of San Francisco in California, is set to visit China from April 14 to 21, seeking to bolster diplomatic relations, stimulate economic growth, and deepen cultural ties in China, the mayor's office has confirmed to the Global Times.

Breed's visit will come just after that of US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, who is on a high-stakes six-day visit to China from Thursday to Tuesday, her second since July 2023.

Analysts said the frequent exchanges reflect the US side's growing willingness to deepen economic and trade ties with China, while there is great potential for China and the US to promote win-win cooperation in a variety of sectors in order to jointly handle challenges including global climate change.

"Mayor Breed will travel to Shenzhen, Guangzhou [both in South China's Guangdong Province], Beijing and Shanghai in China on an economic cultivation trip with a delegation from San Francisco," the mayor's office replied to a Global Times email inquiry.

During her stay in China, Breed will celebrate the 45th anniversary of sister city status for San Francisco and Shanghai, said the office.

"I am honored to be invited to travel to China and meet with leaders in business, innovation, and government to cultivate economic opportunities and strengthen ties between San Francisco and cities across the region," Breed was quoted as saying.

"Our Chinese and Chinese-American communities are core to the fabric of our city and have greatly contributed to San Francisco's rich history. Building on the success of APEC last November, it is critical that we continue to build on that momentum to strengthen San Francisco's international partnerships and maximize the economic and business opportunities that are so valuable for San Francisco's future," the mayor said.

"Multiple polls have reportedly shown that US residents are against isolationism. The coming visit by the San Francisco mayor will further show that US local governments, including those in California, have a strong willingness to enhance cooperation with China," Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The ongoing resumption of flights between China and the US creates more opportunities for cities and people from the two sides to conduct exchanges, Zhou said, noting that they could expand win-win cooperation in various sectors and in more forms.

"Shanghai, a mega Chinese city, is building itself into an international sci-tech innovation center, while Silicon Valley in California is an important source of innovation. There is great potential for the two sides to deepen their partnership," Zhou said.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed a warm welcome for Breed's visit at a press conference on April 1. 

"China supports and encourages more mutual visits and exchanges between Chinese and American people from all sectors to expand common understanding and mutual trust, overcome distractions, deepen cooperation, and bring more tangible benefits to the two peoples," he said.

As of November 2023, China and the US had established 284 pairs of sister provinces/states and cities, official data showed. The network has played an important role like capillaries and cells in propelling the development of China-US relations, deepening bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and promoting mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples.