SHANGHAI, Nov. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- A memorandum of understanding was signed Wednesday evening to renew the friendly relations between Shanghai and San Francisco, as a delegation from the US city paid a visit to Shanghai.

    Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Projects of Exchange and Mutual Benefit between San Francisco and Shanghai (2006-2007) and over 100 San Francisco delegation members and Shanghai officials attended the signing ceremony.

    According to the Memorandum, Shanghai and San Francisco will conduct cooperation in the eight fields of business, culture and arts, sports, education, governments, social exchanges, legal exchanges and tourism.

    During a visit to Shanghai by former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feistein in January 1980, two cities agreed to establish relations of friendship.

    This year marks the 25th anniversary of the friendship between these two cities. Feistein, now a US Senator, and Gavin Newsom led a delegation from San Francisco to Shanghai.

    Chen Liangyu, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, met with the San Francisco delegation Wednesday.

    Feistein said that she still remembers clearly how Shanghai looked like 25 years ago.

    "There were no high-rises and Pudong was full of farm lands," said Feinstein, adding that Shanghai then was "a sleeping giant, and today no modern cities can grow more quickly than Shanghai."

    Feistein also said that she expects to see a new great horizon and a number of new cooperation projects to be carried out between the two cities.

    During the visit, the delegation visited the Fudan University, Shanghai City Planning Exhibition Center and Yuyuan Garden. Mayor Newsom introduced the investment environment in San Francisco to Shanghai business people and took part in a friendship basketball game with Shanghai primary school students. Enditem