San Francisco Mayor Heading to China, Emphasizing Tourism and ‘Panda Diplomacy’

London Breed says the 9-day trip builds on last year’s APEC summit in the Bay Area and Xi Jinping’s visit.

Mayor Breed has advocated hosting a giant panda at the San Francisco Zoo. Above, a giant panda at the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries in Sichuan, China, on July 17, 2017. Sophie Li/The Epoch Times

San Francisco Mayor London Breed is traveling to China for a nine-day trip to promote tourism and explore bringing pandas to the city.

The trip, scheduled from April 13 to April 21, is intended to strengthen San Francisco’s ties with its sister city, Shanghai. The mayor is also scheduled to make official stops in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Beijing.