California Gov. Gavin Newsom is “on the way” to Israel for discussions with locals and officials following recent incidents in the Middle East.
“I’ll be meeting with those impacted by the horrific terrorist attacks and offering California’s support,” Mr. Newsom wrote Oct. 19 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Mr. Newsom’s office declined to comment, and other than the social media post, no official statement or press release was issued regarding the surprise trip.
It is unclear how long the governor will be in the Middle East or if he will return to California before traveling to China for a week-long trip, where he is scheduled to lead a delegation starting Oct. 23.
With several stops planned around the country, the group will meet with local officials to discuss climate initiatives and economic partnerships.
According to an Oct. 18 press release outlining the trip, “The Governor’s message in China will be simple: the world’s fate depends on climate action in California and China.”
“California and China hold the keys to solving the climate crisis,” Mr. Newsom said in a statement. “As two of the world’s largest economies, our partnership is essential to delivering climate action for our communities and beyond.”
The governor noted the trip will follow through on prior commitments and collaborations with China and will help expedite the state’s environmental goals.
“Our decades-long work together proves what we can accomplish together—cleaning the air, accelerating the transition to electric vehicles, protecting people from extreme weather and conserving lands and oceans,” Mr. Newsom said.
The trip will have gatherings between “national, subnational and business partners” to address climate action, promote tourism and economic development, and discuss methods to highlight cultural ties and reduce incidents of xenophobia, in this case, anti-Asian hate.
“China welcomes Governor Gavin Newsom and his delegation to visit China and hopes the visit will bolster California’s exchanges and cooperation with China,” a spokesperson for the Chinese regime posted also Oct. 19 on X.
While visiting the region, the delegation will be advancing its “commitment to competition, innovation, and inclusivity” while bringing together the second- and fifth-largest economies in the world, according to the press release.
Recognizing the long-standing ties that unite the two regions, with the Golden State home to the largest number of Chinese Americans—32 percent of U.S. immigrants from China reside in California—and history dating back more than 150 years, the group seeks to find common ground and mutually beneficial solutions.
Mr. Newsom will be delivering a message stressing the need for urgent action to address climate issues, according to the press release.
During the seven-day journey, the governor will make stops in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and the province of Jiangsu.
Beginning in Hong Kong, the delegation will meet with leadership from Hong Kong University—similar in structure to the University of California system—to discuss climate change efforts and economic partnership opportunities.
In Guangdong province, the governor is expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding—a cooperative agreement—with local leaders regarding climate change goals and initiatives.
The group will also study the City of Shenzen—with a population of approximately 13 million—and its transition in 2018 to all-electric bus fleets consisting of 16,000 buses and 40,000 chargers.
While visiting Beijing, the capital of China, the governor is scheduled to sign more climate agreements, discuss economic development, and strengthen cultural ties—with talks slated with leaders from five provinces “representing nearly a quarter of China’s population,” though no mention was made if a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping is planned.
The group plans to visit the Great Wall, meet with embassy staff and officials, and tour a farm-to-school program designed to benefit rural communities.
In the province of Jiangsu, the governor will sign another climate goal memorandum, explore the largest offshore wind operation in the world—in preparation for efforts to utilize such technologies off the coast of California—and tour a wetlands preserve to discuss climate strategies.
High-speed rail—transportation the governor envisions for California—will then take the delegation to Shanghai, where Mr. Newsom will sign the fifth memorandum agreement of the trip with local officials and tour Tesla’s gigafactory—a massive electric vehicle factory reportedly the most productive in the world.
The governor’s tour comes just weeks before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit—scheduled for the week of Nov. 12 in San Francisco, California.
With the city experiencing unique public safety issues due to shoplifting, homelessness, and drug abuse on its streets, the U.S. Secret Service and San Francisco Police Department held a joint press conference Oct. 18 to address concerns and steps in preparation for the event—including a declaration allowing federal agencies to oversee policing activities, the first such occurrence in California.
