U.S. county looks forward to cooperation with China in 2018: supervisor

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Los Angeles County in the western U.S. state of California is looking forward to strenthening relationship with China in 2018, a local leader told Xinhua Monday.

After the county's annual Chrismas Tree Lighting Ceremony held in Los Angeles downtown, Kathryn Barger, one of the supervisors of Los Angeles County, sent her best wishes to Chinese residents living in the county and visitors from China.

"We want to say merry Christmas and happy New Year to Chinese people," she said, "We are looking for 2018 to continue to strengthen relationship."

"Here, Los Angeles County, we are the home for many, many Chinese-Americans and Chinese moved over here, so my hope is to continue to grow and work together, recognize we all have something give to each other," she told Xinhua, standing under a giant 32-foot (9.75 meter) sparkling tree.

Barger serves the residents of Los Angeles County's 5th Supervisorial District -- the county's largest -- spanning 2,800 square miles (7,251 square km), which includes 22 cities and 70 unincorporated communities.

According to the 2011-2015 American Community Survey, in the Supervisorial District, the San Gabriel Valley region has the highest percentage of Chinese-Americans of any region in the country.

Moreover, Los Angeles is the United States' top international trade gateway to China, handling over 45 percent of trade between the two countries. Meanwhile, last year Los Angeles became the first ever U.S. city destination to receive more than one million visitors from China in one year, according to official figures.

Besides business, Barger emphasized education is "an important component" in cooperation between Los Angeles county and China in the future. Enditem