The California-China Office of Trade and Investment was launched in Shanghai on Friday as the US state's first foreign trade office in a decade, to attract China's huge foreign investment pool and bolster trade between the state and China.

"California is the gateway to the Pacific and this office in Shanghai will enhance trade collaborations and offer more employment opportunities for both sides," said California Governor Jerry Brown at the opening ceremony.

The office will serve as a hub for Californian companies interested in entering or expanding in China, the world's second-largest economy, and Chinese companies seeking investment opportunities in California, the world's ninth largest economy by GDP.