LA mayor proud of city's ties to China

Q: Last year, Los Angeles hosted the US-China Climate Leaders Summit. How do you think Los Angeles and China can work together in addressing climate issues?

I think the bridge we have built between Chinese cities and US cities started here in Los Angeles and changed the world. Forty percent of the emissions come from Chinese and American cities, and Los Angeles, in particular, (understands the) struggles that Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and other cities are going through with air quality. We want to share our experience because that's about when I was growing up here — my lungs hurt, you couldn't see mountains, you couldn't breathe. We show that you can keep the economy moving and clean the air. So whether it's the experience that we have and we can share with China, or vice versa. Chinese companies are doing green technology that we can use here. I think it's a two-way street. But I hope to continue to be a campaigner to help China clean its cities' air and use Los Angeles' story to prove it's possible.

Q: In attracting Chinese investment, how does Los Angeles compete with other cities on the West Coast, especially with San Francisco?

We love San Francisco, Seattle and other cities. They are great. But Los Angeles is No 1 in investment right now for a reason. I think people see much more land, much more opportunity, cheaper prices and much more diversified economy. It's not just technology, but we have more technology jobs in Los Angeles County than in Silicon Valley. We have more diverse jobs, from space and aerospace to engineering and architecture services, to fashion, to music, to Hollywood as well as digital technology. I think people see that the educational institutions here - three of the top 25 universities - and investment infrastructure, are kind of a match, not only on the West Coast, but in the United States right now. So it's a safe, secure place to put money. If the economy is good in China, money comes here; even if the economy has a dip in China, it's a safe place to put money and to be able to take back and put into another investment. I think that's why Los Angeles has more visitors, more Chinese students and more Chinese investment than in any other city on the West Coast.

Contact the writers at liazhu@chinadailyusa.com, junechang@chinadailyusa.com