Growing a global reach

Early Tuesday morning, San Francisco lost one of its most dedicated servants with Mayor Edwin M. Lee’s sudden and tragic passing.

He began his career as a pioneer for social justice and change and through his advocacy and activism became the first Asian American mayor of San Francisco. With this role, Lee also helped grow the city’s economy through the international market.

The Chinese American community has been a part of San Francisco for more than 150 years, and more than 25 percent of the city’s population is Chinese American. When he became mayor in 2011, it was a milestone for the Chinese American community as well as the Chinese community overseas, a relationship deepened by our work together to boost ChinaSF, the first public-private partnership of its kind focusing on attracting and retaining companies and investment from China in order to create more jobs for San Francisco.

Through our partnership with ChinaSF, 53 percent more jobs were created and 78 percent more investments were made in San Francisco from 2015 to 2016, and more than $2.1 billion in Chinese capital projects were brought to the region. By developing the city’s relationship with China, Lee expanded San Francisco’s reach worldwide and positioned us as the economic powerhouse of the state.

While Lee will be remembered for his tireless work to improve the lives of every San Franciscan during times of both great prosperity and extreme hardship, we should also remember the work he did to expand and diversify the city’s economy.

I and many other San Franciscans are incredibly grateful for his accomplishments, and I hope that we can strengthen his legacy by continuing his efforts to make San Francisco a better place to live.