Thrive with GBA | The Bay to Bay Dialogue held to deepen mutual understanding between China and US

GUANGZHOU, China, June 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from GDToday: 

Organized by the Guangdong Government, the Government of the State of California, Chinese People's for Friendship with Foreign Countries and California China Climate Institute, the first US-China Bay to Bay Dialogue was held in Berkeley, California on May 29 (local time).

More than 200 representatives from both sides attended the Dialogue, including Guangdong Governor Wang Weizhong, Financial Secretary of Hong Kong SAR Paul Chan and Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macao SAR Ao leong U.

Governor Wang Weizhong indicated that Guangdong had seized the opportunity of reform and opening up to become the leading economic province in China, with its GDP ranking first for 35 consecutive years. Guangdong will continue to expand high-level opening up by developing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, stimulating the three driving forces of reform, opening up, and innovation. Guangdong and the Greater Bay Area are willing to work together with California and the San Francisco Bay Area to strengthen practical cooperation between the bay areas, achieving higher quality and higher levels of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

Yang Wanming, President of Chinese People's for Friendship with Foreign Countries, stated that the GBA has accounted for 1/9 national GDP with less than 0.6% national territorial area. He believes that the Dialogue will enhance the collaboration between the two bay areas and realize win-win cooperation.

Zhang Jianmin, Consul General of China in San Francisco, indicated that both two bay areas are the important regions for economy and innovative development in their respective countries, serving as hubs to attract talents, technologies and capital. He emphasized that the cooperation between the two bay areas will inject positive energy to the relationship between China and America.  

Gavin Newsome, Governor of State of California, expressed his gratitude to the representatives from the GBA. He believes that the Dialogue will become a platform for both two regions to exchange ideas and pragmatic measures, facilitating future cooperation.

It is reported that the two bay areas will strengthen the cooperation in developing techniques for clean energy and low carbon, especially since Guangdong and California had singed MoUs related to low carbon in 2013 and 2015 and singed another MoU concerning green development in October last year.

"The Greater Bay area is a fascinating part of China and the world," said Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to the Governor and Director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. "I think that there is a lot of attention to clean energy, and developing new solutions to climate problems, which is very similar to this area here in California." 

She stressed that two regions could start cooperation in zero emission vehicles, land use management, offshore wind and more.

According to Xu Xiaoxia, Director-General of Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province, Guangdong and California have reached an agreement in controlling emission of methane, including strengthening R&D in emission control, technical pathways and the establishment of rubust monitoring systems.

This year marks the 10th anniversary for the establishment of Sister Province (State) relationship between Guangdong and California, with 12 pairs of sister cities between the two regions.

"I'm looking to establish a friendship or sister city relationship between San Jose and Shenzhen, because we have so many parallels in the innovation economy," said Matt Mahan, Mayor of San Jose.

In his opinion, establishing sister city relationship can promote the connection of universities, companies and cultural organizations between the two regions.

Since both Shenzhen and San Jose are the places with developed innovation industries, Mayor Mahan suggested that both two cities can deepen the cooperation of artificial intelligence, by combining the advantages of both sides and reaching sustainability goals.

At the Dialogue, both regions have made 5 key announcements, including deepening the cooperation in the fields of green development, climate change, people-to-people exchange and trade and investment.

Rodney Fong, President & CEO at San Francisco Chamber of Commerce indicated that cooperation starts with people-to-people exchange. He hopes this event can guide the two regions to achieve common goals.

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