China News Service San Francisco, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- During APEC time, feel the "epic event" in San Francisco

China News Service reporter Liang Xiaohui

When the streets of San Francisco were covered with slogans such as "APEC is going to be EPIC", the American media also used the term "epic event" to describe the upcoming 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

"The last time San Francisco brought global leaders together was when the Charter of the United Nations was signed in 1945." CBS reported that for San Francisco, APEC will be a rare "opportunity of the century."

The fact that the signing of the UN Charter can be compared with the current APEC meeting shows the deep expectations of US public opinion for the San Francisco meeting.

For Chinese journalists who came to San Francisco from Beijing to cover the meeting, the speed, intensity and heat displayed by San Francisco at APEC time became a micro perspective to experience this "epic event" at the individual level.

"It really only takes a few minutes." From getting off the plane to passing through the US customs through APEC, the whole process takes less than 5 minutes, and San Francisco's preparations for APEC have made many media colleagues express the above feelings.

Even though it is international practice for organizers to open up access to international conferences, the pace is particularly impressive for U.S. Customs, which has always been known for its rigorous inquiries and lengthy times. When the reporter successfully cleared customs, the customs staff did not forget to smile and add: "Have a nice APEC week".

Entering the APEC week, the strength of the measures taken by San Francisco to welcome the APEC meeting also made the reporter feel quite touched when interviewing in the city.

The most intuitive feeling comes from the appearance of the city. In recent years, the homeless population and law and order problems in San Francisco have been heard from time to time. But during APEC time, reporters saw only a few homeless people on the streets of the city center, replaced by a large number of patrolling police. Many sections of the road are being renovated and renovated, and many roadside facilities are being repainted.

According to media colleagues who have lived in San Francisco for a long time, San Francisco has opened additional shelter beds in anticipation of APEC, greatly reducing the number of homeless people on the streets, and striving to make a good impression on visitors with strict security and "upgrades" to the city's appearance.

According to reports, about 3,<> people will visit San Francisco during APEC time, including politicians, business people, media and tourists.

In recent days, as the "highlight" of the APEC Weekly Leaders' Meeting is approaching, security has also been greatly upgraded near the Moscone Center, the meeting venue. Safety nets and barricades were set up around the venue, and traffic control was carried out from time to time.

The reporter saw at the scene that many citizens expressed their understanding after communicating with the traffic police about the sudden "road closure". Rennes, a San Francisco citizen who had to take a detour, told reporters that these measures are acceptable, after all, APEC is a "big event" for San Francisco.

In the eyes of many people, the upcoming China-US summit will add a wave of heat to the "epic event" of APEC and San Francisco itself.

Turning on the television, over the past few days, the US media have been continuously reporting on the topics that may be discussed and the impact of this meeting.

"We want to see healthy competition, not vicious confrontation." Speaking of the San Francisco meeting, the American Consumer News and Business Channel said in the program. On the online page of the show, a netizen named "cap8warrior" commented, "I hope that the relationship between the two countries can get better, not go to extremes." ”

The local Chinese community also expressed their expectations for the meeting. Wu Youyi, chairman of the US-Spanish Peace and Reunification Council, told a reporter from China News Service that from Bali to San Francisco, he hoped that the Sino-US summit would bring bilateral relations back to the track of healthy and stable development, and that good news would spread from San Francisco to the world. "The Chinese in San Francisco generally see APEC as an important opportunity to improve Sino-US relations."

Chinese culture has become an integral part of San Francisco's culture. The reporter felt the enthusiasm of the dragon and lion dance performance in San Francisco's Chinatown. Despite being an unofficial welcome event at APEC, Chinatown's special performances are still presented to the world as a "San Francisco character" of APEC.

"San Francisco is a testament to the changes in the Chinese community over the past century. We all love the mountains and rivers! On the eve of APEC, the organizers randomly invited locals to answer the question "What makes San Francisco shine?" and ask them to write the answer on a golden card. Someone wrote the above sentence in Chinese.

The organizers collected the cards and put them together in a giant installation slogan, "SHINE IN SF," based on the concept of "Love Letter to San Francisco," which was placed in the journalists' work area of the APEC International Media Center.

Faced with the eyes of global journalists, the installation showcased the charm of San Francisco and the city's efforts to host the event:

San Francisco is ready to shine again. (ENDS)