According to reference sources, U.S. media reported on March 30 that London Breed, Mayor of San Francisco, plans to visit China in April. The trip aims to promote the development of San Francisco's tourism industry and strengthen relations with sister city Shanghai.

The US media added that the most important thing about this trip may be to expect Breed to bring back good news about the return of giant pandas to San Francisco.

London Breed (center), Mayor of San Francisco, California, USA. source:visual China

The report quoted local media sources as saying that the delegation led by Bride will depart on April 13. In addition to Shanghai, it will also visit Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing. She will return to the United States on April 21.

Bride's itinerary includes riding a high-speed train between Beijing and Shanghai and holding meetings with the American Chamber of Commerce in Guangzhou. Many members of the local Chinese community in San Francisco have been invited to join Brede's delegation to China.

"The Chinese and Chinese-American communities are at the heart of our urban fabric and have made a huge contribution to San Francisco's rich history." Breed said in a statement:"I am honored to be invited to China to meet with business, innovation and government officials, and look forward to enriching economic cooperation opportunities and connections between San Francisco and Chinese cities."

Reported that during the APEC meeting in San Francisco in 2023, Breed met with Chinese officials and later expressed his hope that one or two giant pandas would settle in the San Francisco Zoo.

When asked if there were plans to further promote San Francisco to welcome China's precious giant pandas, Parissa Safarzad, spokesperson for Brede's office, said:"Mayor Breed is committed to making this wish whenever the opportunity arises."

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It is reported that tourists from China used to be the main force of San Francisco's tourism industry, with about 500,000 visitors every year, making important contributions to the local economy. During the epidemic, the number of tourists dropped sharply.

However, this trend has reversed in 2023. Local media predicts that by 2024, San Francisco will have approximately 385000 tourists from China, with an estimated consumption of US$1.1 billion, which will make China once again the largest source of local overseas tourists and consumption.