Officials laud more Sino-US exchanges

Following the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in San Francisco, local officials from the United States have echoed Xi's calls — holding subnational exchanges and people-to-people exchanges in high regard.

"Cross-border business relationship is really rooted in the diaspora — you need people who can navigate both sides of that relationship. … People-to-people connection is important, and I think we need more Americans engaging in China," said Samir Mayekar, Chicago's former deputy mayor of economic development.

"While there might be heightened tension at the federal level,… there's no doubt that at the provincial level and city level, …you care deeply about that dynamic and doing business together. And oftentimes, those are the people who can make this happen," he said.