Delegation members pose for group photos in Guangzhou on June 16, 2026. 

To celebrate the 45th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Guangzhou and Los Angeles, the delegation of 2026 Los Angeles Youth Ambassadors is visiting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area from June 14 to 23.

Consisting of two teachers and 14 university students, the delegation is accompanied throughout the visit by representatives from the Los Angeles-Guangzhou Sister City Association and Guangzhou City Polytechnic.

For many delegation members, this is their first visit to Guangzhou as an episode of Global Youth Explore Guangzhou series. At the Corporate Culture Exhibition Center of Guangzhou Public Transport Group Co., Ltd. and the Haixinsha Omni-Space Intelligent Experience Center on June 16, they gained first-hand insight into the city's technological advances, modern development, and innovative vitality.

The youth delegation members were particularly impressed by Guangzhou's advances in fields such as low-altitude economy, artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous driving.

Delegation members visit Guangzhou Public Transport Group Co., Ltd. on June 16, 2026.

"Futuristic, priority-oriented and safe," said Caroline Vargas, an 18-year-old student from Los Angeles City College, summing up her visit to Guangzhou Public Transport Group Co.,  Ltd.

As she learned more about the company's values and priorities for its public transportation system, Vargas compared them with those of Los Angeles. "I want to communicate back at home with the metro people in Los Angeles," she said.

Miguel Ruezga, a student from West Los Angeles College, was most impressed by the self-driving buses of Guangzhou Public Transport Group Co., Ltd. Seeing fully autonomous vehicles was eye-opening for him. "In some ways, it could be implemented in our life over there in Los Angeles, California specifically," he said.

Miguel Ruezga shares his impressions of the flight simulator on June 16, 2026.

Notably, Ruezga also tried a flight simulator at the Haixinsha Omni-Space Intelligent Experience Center, which was a new experience for him. He enjoyed the eight-minute simulated flight. "It was a true representation of what it feels like to fly a plane, but I found it pretty enjoyable and fancy," he added.

Elizabeth Mendez, a student from Los Angeles Pierce College, described her visit to the Haixinsha Omni-Space Intelligent Experience Center as "innovative, exciting, and unforgettable". The center displays a wide range of robots, electric vehicles, and aircraft.

She said such advanced technologies were rarely seen in Los Angeles and hoped that many of the robots could be introduced there.

Delegation members watch the robot dog's performance on June 16, 2026.

Mendez was impressed by the robots' wide range of functions. Among them, a cute, playful robot dog could rotate 360 degrees, water-rescue robots could help save people from drowning, and cleaning robots could greatly improve the efficiency of urban sanitation.

Basel Hamam, a student from West Los Angeles College, said the delegation came to learn more about China and its industries, compare them with those of Los Angeles, and explore what the two sides could learn from each other.

Hamam was impressed by China's technological advances and hoped that the robots and aircraft he saw could be put into use around the world.

Delegation members view aircraft at the Haixinsha Omni-Space Intelligent Experience Center on June 16, 2026.

Los Angeles is Guangzhou's second international sister city. Since establishing their sister-city relationship in 1981, the two cities have maintained a strong and enduring friendship and carried out extensive exchanges and cooperation in trade, sports, culture, education, and urban innovation.

The sister-city friendship between Guangzhou and Los Angeles has become a fine example of subnational cooperation between China and the United States.