This morning, on February 17th, the 13th Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration was hosted by the San Francisco Bay Area Council, with Xue Kan, deputy secretary of the district committee and mayor of the district, participating via video link. He engaged with the guests in real time during the event. San Francisco Bay Area Council President Jim Wunderman, U.S. California State Assemblyman Ding Yueli, and Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Zhang Jianmin were in attendance, each delivering speeches consecutively. The Bay Area Council extended invitations to over 300 Chinese and international guests to join them at their new headquarters for the 13th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration. Among the visiting guests were over 200 representatives from renowned companies including Google, Bayer, JP Morgan Chase, Deloitte, and AT&T. Additionally, representatives from local colleges and universities, as well as media outlets such as Stanford University, University of California, University of San Francisco, and San Francisco Business Times, were also in attendance.

Mr. Xue Kan conveyed his warmest Chinese New Year wishes for 2023 to all the guests present, while also extending heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Wunderman for his well-deserved Magnolia Honor Award received last year. He expressed deep appreciation for Mr. Wunderman's remarkable contributions to the development of Shanghai and its foreign relations.

In his speech, Mr. Xue Kan highlighted that since 2016, the San Francisco Bay Area Council and Yangpu have forged a longstanding and amicable relationship. Both parties are dedicated to fostering exchanges and collaboration between local communities and businesses in China and the United States, resulting in substantial and fruitful outcomes. Yangpu is actively promoting a high level of openness to the global community with enthusiastic gestures and positive initiatives. By leveraging the best resources and elements available, Yangpu is constructing a high-quality cooperation platform. This includes providing more convenient investment services and vigorously cultivating a market-oriented, rule of law, and internationalized business environment. The San Francisco Bay Area boasts the world's most dynamic and vibrant waterfront coastline, serving as a hub for the globe's most exceptional innovative enterprises and top talent in innovation. We aspire to deepen the exchanges between our two sides and extend a sincere invitation to more entrepreneurs and knowledgeable individuals from the Bay Area to come to Yangpu. Together, let's sow the seeds of opportunity, innovation, and friendship, and reap the fruits of development, creativity, and cooperation.

Jim Wunderman remarked that since the organization of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration by the Bay Area Council, significant results have been witnessed by both sides in major fields. He expressed his hope for the Bay Area and Yangpu to establish a "cultural bond" together, continuing to explore common ground. He emphasized the importance of making greater contributions to strengthening economic and trade cooperation between China and the U.S., as well as expanding friendly exchanges between the two sides.

Mr. Zhang expressed gratitude to the people from all walks of life in San Francisco and Yangpu for their contributions to the friendship between China and the United States. He emphasized that the relationship between China and the United States holds great significance for both nations and has a far-reaching impact on the people of both countries. The rapid development of China presents brand new opportunities for the global economy. In the future, China will continue to deepen its reforms and steadfastly uphold a high level of openness to the outside world. All of us gathered here are not only beneficiaries of the positive relationship between China and the United States, but also active promoters of bilateral relations. We hope that your efforts will persist in advancing the U.S.-China relationship to even greater heights.

The San Francisco Bay Area Council (SFBC) plays a crucial role as a promoter of local and business exchanges and cooperation between the United States and China. It has been actively involved in promoting free trade, fostering innovation, and encouraging civil exchanges between the two countries. Palo Alto, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, holds the distinction of being the first international sister city of Yangpu. Since the establishment of this friendship in March 2018, the two cities have maintained close communication and consistently reinforced their cooperation mechanisms. This New Year celebration coincides with the approaching 5th anniversary of the international sister city relationship between the two places. Both sides will seize this opportunity to discuss cooperation, pursue mutual development, and further contribute to the ongoing friendship and cooperation between China and the United States at the local level.