US-China Relations Updates

On October 24th, California Governor Gavin Newsom embarked on a visit to China and expressed his amazement and admiration for Shenzhen. The first stop of his Guangdong trip was at the Antuo Mountain Bus Depot in Shenzhen, where he learned about the development of electric buses and even took a test ride in a BYD electric car.

During his brief visit, which lasted less than an hour, Newsom repeatedly exclaimed “Amazing!” and “Incredible!” He was particularly intrigued by what makes Shenzhen so captivating.

At the Antuo Mountain Bus Depot, Newsom boarded different types of buses and received an introduction to the charging facilities and various bus models from the Shenzhen Bus Group. He also engaged in discussions with the bus group regarding onboard intelligent devices, charging technologies, and other related areas.

“The fact that Shenzhen’s public transportation network can cover the entire city in just a few years is extraordinary. In California, we have similar aspirations, but I have never seen such a large-scale and high-level implementation before. That’s why we came here, to witness firsthand how this works and how it has been achieved in such a short time,” said Newsom.

It was explained that Shenzhen became the first city in the world to achieve 100% electrification of its bus fleet in 2017. In 2018, it became the city with the largest deployment of electric patrol cars globally. In 2019, the Shenzhen Bus Group became the first domestic public transportation enterprise to be selected as a member of the Bus Committee of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP).

During the visit, three BYD electric vehicles were showcased, and Newsom took a ride in one of them at the Antuo Mountain Depot, experiencing the “U-turn” function. He exclaimed, “I can’t believe it!” and “It’s incredible!” He also mentioned, “I have ridden many electric cars, but this one is groundbreaking, it represents the next stage of technology.”

After concluding the visit at the depot, Newsom continued to express his amazement, stating, “The transformation of this city’s transportation system is inspiring. We have the same aspirations, but we never expected you could achieve it so quickly. It’s extraordinary.”

Newsom arrived in Hong Kong on October 23rd, commencing his week-long visit to China. During his visit, he engaged in discussions with Chinese government officials, local representatives, and business figures on topics such as cultural exchange, climate change, economic development, and the tourism industry. Newsom emphasized the importance of transitioning towards a low-carbon, green future and expressed admiration for China’s efforts in implementing solutions and strategies to address climate change. He believed that China has done an excellent job in pushing forward with rapid and large-scale implementation, constantly applying and validating technologies, and thus there is much to learn from each other and compare in terms of various technologies.

This visit marks Newsom’s first trip to China since being elected as the Governor of California in 2019. He also became the first US governor to visit China after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, previously stated that China welcomes Governor Newsom’s visit and hopes that it will achieve positive outcomes and promote exchanges and cooperation between California and China.