The mayor of San Francisco, Daniel Lurie, pledged to deepen the 46-year sister-city relationship with Shanghai during his two-day visit beginning on Sunday, his first international trip since taking office in January.

"This visit is a major milestone for my administration," Lurie said. "It was a deliberate choice to make Shanghai my first international trip as mayor, and that decision reflects the priority I place on this relationship and the deep respect I have for the Chinese-American community in San Francisco."

Leading a delegation focused on tourism, sister-city ties and cultural exchanges, Lurie witnessed the signing of memorandums of understanding with Shanghai institutions.

"The highlights of my visit are building on 46 years of sister-city relationships," he said.

"I am honored to continue this tradition alongside some of the world's great cultural institutions in both Shanghai and San Francisco. We look forward to many more decades of partnership, friendship and continuing the people-to-people dialogue that I believe is so important."

The delegation visited Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Shanghai Natural History Museum, Shanghai Grand Opera House, among others, with memorandums of understanding signed at four institutions.

"We are building on that foundation and investing in a future where science, education and sustainability remain at the center of our partnership," Lurie said. "For us, this isn't just about diplomacy. It's about family, history and the neighborhoods that make our city what it is."

Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng met Lurie on Monday, with the two sides signing a new round of memorandums of cooperation.

Gong expressed hope that the agreements would mark a fresh starting point for deeper collaboration in trade and investment, urban governance, and cultural and artistic exchanges, while encouraging leading enterprises from both cities to expand their presence in each other's markets.

Lurie, for his part, voiced expectations for closer collaboration in technological innovation, climate governance, sustainable development, urban management, as well as in culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

Artistic connection

At the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Lurie said the San Francisco Conservatory of Music has welcomed hundreds of Chinese students over past years, fostering a shared artistic connection.

He expressed hope that San Francisco students visiting Shanghai would build similarly lasting relationships.

The memorandum with Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is expected to facilitate Chinese dinosaur exhibitions in San Francisco. In addition, the San Francisco Ballet is scheduled to perform at the China Shanghai International Arts Festival next year.

David Stull, president of San Francisco Conservatory of Music, highlighted the role of music as a cultural bridge.

"Music is a universal language. Young musicians will lose track of where they're from and what language they speak because the only language they're focused on is music," he said, noting that both cities share "a spirit of imagination, innovation and the future".

Tourism remains crucial to the relationship. Mike Nakornkhet, director of San Francisco International Airport, said passenger traffic between China and San Francisco reached 700,000 last year, with 23 weekly flights to four Chinese destinations.

Lurie said the agreements established during his visit represent a formal commitment to keep moving together in culture, arts, sports and youth — a shared vision built on mutual respect and shared talents.

"San Francisco is the home of technology alongside arts and culture," he said.

"The world looks at San Francisco as the global hub of innovation and technology. I know Shanghai is also cutting-edge, and we look forward to continuing these partnerships."

Li Junfeng contributed to this story.