Governor Newsom Goes to China Next Week

SACRAMENTO, CA October 18, 2023 – Governor Gavin Newsom will begin his weeklong trip to China on Monday where he will travel throughout the country and meet key national, subnational and business partners to advance climate action, promote economic development and tourism, and encourage cultural exchange between countries to actively combat xenophobia. Click here for a fact sheet on the Governor’s trip.

The Governor’s message in China will be simple: the world’s fate depends on climate action in California and China. 

The visit comes ahead of the pivotal APEC Summit in San Francisco this November, and builds on a long history of partnership between California and China, with a strong bilateral foundation built by Governors Schwarzenneger and Brown and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, as well as the Governor when he served as Mayor of San Francisco.

The trip furthers California’s commitment to competition, innovation and inclusivity. Our economies – the second and fifth largest in the world – are intertwined and have been since the earliest days of our statehood. Our people-to-people ties are long-standing and enduring. Today, a significant percentage of Californians can trace their roots to China and we are proud to be home to the largest group of Chinese Americans – 32% of Chinese immigrants to the United States live in California. California seeks healthy economic competition with China, especially as we work together to transition to low-carbon economies.

Below is a preview of Governor Newsom’s trip:

 HONG KONG

The Governor will participate in a fireside chat with Hong Kong University leadership. Hong Kong University is a premier higher-education institution and much like the University of California system, plays a significant role in advancing research, fostering innovation, and shaping policies. The conversation will focus on shared efforts to combat climate change while fostering strong economic growth.

 GUANGDONG

In the Guangdong province, Governor Newsom will meet with regional leaders and businesses who have helped transform industrial cities into major hubs for electric vehicles and electric public transit. In 2018, Shenzhen, a city of 13 million, became the first in the world to transition to an all-electric bus fleet with 16,000 buses and 40,000 charging stations. The California delegation will focus on how China accelerated and incentivized the transition, and developed the infrastructure to support all electric fleets.

While in Guangdong, the Governor is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will build upon a decade-long climate partnership between California and Guangdong.

 BEIJING

In China’s capital city of Beijing, Governor Newsom will meet with several high-level national and local officials and sign additional MOUs to advance climate collaboration, as well as discuss topics spanning methane and the clean energy transition, growing the economy while fighting the climate crisis, strengthening cultural ties and combating xenophobia. While in Beijing, the Governor will also tour the Great Wall, meet with U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns and U.S. Embassy staff, and meet with leaders of five Chinese provinces and other stakeholders representing nearly a quarter of China’s population.

First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom will join the Governor in Beijing and together they will visit a local school to see a successful farm-to-school program in action.

 JIANGSU

When in China, Governor Newsom will visit an offshore wind facility in the province of Jiangsu to learn about the efforts employed by the government and businesses that have made China the world’s largest generator of wind power. California has set ambitious offshore wind capacity planning goals of 2-5 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045.

While in Jiangsu, the Governor will also visit a wetlands preserve to discuss how to protect biodiversity and the environment. As Chinese communities face more dire impacts from climate change, it is more critical than ever that we advance strategies that can protect citizens and communities in both jurisdictions.

The Governor will sign a climate-focused MOU with Jiangsu before departing for Shanghai via high-speed rail to experience the future of transportation California is looking to advance stateside.

 SHANGHAI 

Governor Newsom will finish his trip in the major financial and business hub of Shanghai where he will sign the fifth MOU of the trip with local and subnational leadership. The Governor will also tour Tesla’s Shanghai gigafactory, which in September announced it produced 2 million EVs, making it the most productive EV factory in the world.