World Celebrities Talk About Expo (Twenty-Three)

Gavin Newson, mayor of San Francisco.

Graduated from Santa Clara University.

Before going to politics, it was a successful businessman with a commercial empire including restaurants, theaters, wines, hotels and ski resorts.

From 1996 to 2004, he worked in the board of supervisors of San Francisco.

In 2004, he was elected the forty-second mayor of San Francisco and became the youngest mayor in the city for more than a century.

It is my great honor to say hello to our sister city Shanghai on behalf of San Francisco, and to extend our sincere wishes to World Expo, which is to be held in Shanghai, for its complete success in 2010.

San Francisco and China have a profound cultural origin. Now the Chinese community in San Francisco is the largest and most influential Chinese community in the United States. I am very proud of this.

As the first sister city between China and the United States, San Francisco has always been proud of this sister city relationship with Shanghai.

Therefore, we chose to locate the first overseas office in Shanghai.

This is based on our many years of friendship, and also because Shanghai is recognized as one of China's economic centers.

Shanghai, I had the privilege of visiting two times, one in 2005 and one in 2008.

I am deeply impressed by the vitality and vigour of Shanghai and its amazing growth and development.

Perhaps, nothing can describe the city better than in person.

And I see in Shanghai that the local people work very diligently and are very proud of their city.

I think this should be the reason why Shanghai has become a world-class city in Shanghai.

Thank you very much for Shanghai. Because of your cooperation and support, San Francisco will have the opportunity to show our city in the name of "San Francisco week" in San Francisco World Expo next year.

This is not only a support for China's Shanghai World Expo in 2010, but also a good opportunity to share San Francisco with the world, when there will be different cultural groups performing in World Expo, including San Francisco ballet, opera and Symphony Orchestra.

Through these, we will fully demonstrate the diversity of San Francisco culture.

Of course, I hope that World Expo is not just a platform for cultural exchanges.

In the face of increasingly serious global environmental problems, I am looking forward to a special green technology exhibition and discussion in World Expo.

As a forerunner and leader in global environmental protection, San Francisco is very willing to share with you the leading experience in creating green products and services.

Today, San Francisco is the first city in the United States to establish a "green building" standard. It has the largest municipal solar energy facilities in the United States, and the largest convoy in the United States is responsible for garbage collection and recycling.

And the "green city Manifesto", led by us, has been adopted and implemented in more than 200 cities around the world.

We hope that through our leading position in the green field, we can bring inspiration and help to more cities.

We believe that Shanghai World Expo will be the best place and platform to show the green concept.

The theme of World Expo in Shanghai is "Better City, better life". In fact, over the years, we have been working towards such a goal.

By 2012, greenhouse gas emissions in San Francisco will be reduced to 80% in 1990.

Because in our understanding, the premise of a beautiful city life should be green and environmental protection.

I am very fortunate to have visited the Expo venues. I believe that the Expo 2010 will be very shocking in Shanghai next year.

At that time, I must encourage the citizens of San Francisco to visit Shanghai in World Expo in 2010.

World Expo 2010 Shanghai China will be a great event. I look forward to participating in this grand event.

Once again, we express our sincere hope for World Expo, and we believe that all participants in this event will be rewarding.