The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday welcomed the mayor of San Francisco's scheduled visit to the country next week.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed will depart on April 13 and visit Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing as well as Shanghai, with which it has sister-city relations, according to local news reports.

Breed said she will meet with leaders in business, innovation and government to cultivate economic opportunities and strengthen ties between San Francisco and the Chinese cities.

Extending welcome to the U.S. mayor, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed hope that the visit can achieve positive results and further promote San Francisco's cooperation with China and local exchanges between China and the United States.

The hope of the China-U.S. relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in the societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at sub-national levels, said Wang.

China has always supported and encouraged people from all walks of life in the two countries to have more contacts and exchanges, accumulate consensus, enhance trust, eliminate interference, and deepen cooperation to bring more tangible benefits to the two peoples, he added.