China Seeks to Strengthen Economic Ties with Major U.S. Cities

Effort announced by CPAFFC President Yang Wanming targets San Francisco and New York City, amidst ongoing U.S.-China tensions.

China is seeking to strengthen economic ties with major American cities, specifically San Francisco and New York City, by linking them with the southern Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), announced the effort in an interview with The Paper, a media outlet controlled by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Despite growing calls to decouple from China due to concerns over intellectual property theft and labor exploitation, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated in December that the U.S. should not sever ties with China.
Tensions between the U.S. and China have been strained due to an ongoing trade war over semiconductors and technology, with the U.S. controlling most of the intellectual property while China has a greater share of the minerals and other materials needed for production.
The island nation of Taiwan, a significant hub of semiconductor manufacturing, is also a source of tension, as China has repeatedly voiced its determination to take over the island, threatening a global supply chain collapse.