Houston intent on boosting ties with China

Parker, who made her first trip to China in 1998, said that she was amazed to see the tremendous changes in her second trip to China in 2010.

"Just in the 12 years between my first and my second trip, I saw phenomenal growth in development. Literally, the change from the streets crowded with bicycles to streets crowded with cars. I was very impressed with the amount of new development going on," she said.

The mayor also expressed her confidence in Chinese economy's future.

"China has had a red-hot economy for a number of years. It has slowed. But while the rest of the world was in a recession, China was continuing to move forward, and so I think now it is in a more normal growth pattern. The growth of Chinese economy has been impressive by any standard," she said.

Speaking of the city's ambition, the mayor said with its unique geo-economic position, pro-business economic climate and diverse culture, Houston is well positioned to grow into an international trade center.

"We are the gateway to the heartland of America ... When you look at the map of the United States, you have the West Coast, the East Coast and here the Gulf Coast at the bottom with Houston right in the center of it. We are already a premiere port city. We want to continue to sell ourselves as the place to enter the American market," she said.

Houstonians are also proud of the city's openness and diversity in a traditionally conservative state, the mayor said. Statistics showed that 20 percent of the residents in Houston are foreign born. It is also home to a large Chinese community.