SAN FRANCISCO-SHANGHAI SISTER CITY COMMITTEE (FKA SF-SHANGHAI FRIENDSHIP)

GIVEN THE CURRENT NEED FOR BETTER INTERACTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA, THE SAN FRANCISCO SHANGHAI SISTER CITY COMMITTEE (COMMITTEE) FEELS ITS ROLE OF PROMOTING MORE COMMUNICATION, INTERACTION AND COOPERATION ON PROJECTS OF GOODWILL BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF SAN FRANCISCO AND SHANGHAI IS NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.TO THIS EXTENT THE COMMITTEE UNDERTOOK A NUMBER OF PROJECTS IN 2018 TO IMPLEMENT THIS GOAL OF GOOD WILL AND INCREASED UNDERSTANDING.AT THE INVITATION OF THE SHANGHAI CHARITY FOUNDATION, THE COMMITTEE ORGANIZED A SMALL DELEGATION OF NON-PROFIT AND LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL TO TRAVEL TO SHANGHAI TO ATTEND A CONFERENCE ENTITLED: "USING CHARITY AND CULTURE TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING". AT THE CONFERENCE MANY IDEAS WERE DISCUSSED IN WHICH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF RESPECTIVE CULTURES CHINA AND IN OUR CASE AMERICAN WOULD LEAD TO AN OVERALL BETTER FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION BETWEEN ALL PEOPLES. THE COMMITTEE AND ITS DELEGATION FELT BY JUST TRAVELING TO SHANGHAI WAS SIGNIFICANT TO SHOW THAT THE DESIRE TO CONTINUE TO INTERACT AND TALK WAS GENUINE AND SINCERE.THE COMMITTEE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SHANGHAI MIDDLE SCHOOL, DISTRICT 8, PRESENTED A TWO PERFORMANCE CHILDREN'S CONCERT IN SAN FRANCISCO. A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 45 MIDDLE-SCHOOL CHILDREN PERFORMED TRADITIONAL AND MODERN CHINESE SONGS, DANCE AND INSTRUMENTS TO THE RESIDENTS OF SAN FRANCISCO. ADMISSION WAS FREE AND THE CONCERTS AND DREW OVER 800 OVER TWO DAYS. THE COMMITTEE PLANS TO BRING A SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL TO PERFORM IN SHANGHAI FOR ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY.AT THE REQUEST OF ALL PARTIES, THE COMMITTEE, FOR THE FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW, FACILITATED THE VISIT OF SHANGHAI METRO PERSONNEL TO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA TRANSIT DISTRICT (BART) AND SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL RAILWAY. THE VISIT WAS THE RESULT OF A SISTER TRANSIT AGREEMENT IN WHICH THE COMMITTEE FACILITATED AND MAYOR OF SAN FRANCISCO PRESIDED OVER DURING THE SIGNING. THE GOAL OF THE VISIT WAS THE DESIRE BY ALL THREE TRANSIT COMMUNITIES THAT THEY WOULD GET TOGETHER AND SHARE BEST PRACTICES PERSPECTIVES ON MAKING PUBLIC TRANSIT EVEN MORE EFFICIENT.THE COMMITTEE HAS ALSO BEGUN WORK ON ASSEMBLING A VERSION OF ITS MUCH ACCLAIMED 30TH ANNIVERSARY BOOK, IN THIS CASE THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO-SHANGHAI SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP.PARTICIPATED AGAIN AND WITH HONOR IN SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR LONDON BREED'S ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE CELEBRATION.PARTICIPATED AGAIN IN SAN FRANCISCO SISTER CITY SUMMIT HOSTED BY SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR LONDON BREED.CONTINUED EXECUTION ON MOU PROJECTS FOCUS ON PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENT IN TRANSIT, MEDIA, EDUCATION, SHIPPING, ZOOLOGY.