Los Angeles, the U.S. second largest metropolis, expects the number of Chinese tourists to increase 50 percent by early 2009, the city mayor's office said Tuesday.

The office attributed the anticipated increase to an agreement signed earlier in the day at the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade in Beijing.

The agreement, signed by U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, will make it easier for Chinese citizens to obtain visas to visit the United States. The plan will go into effect next spring.

Last year, 110,000 visitors from China traveled to Los Angeles. An additional 55,000 tourists are expected to visit the city after the first year of the policy's implementation.

"The historic agreement signed today in Beijing is good for America, and it is great for Los Angeles," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

"L.A. is uniquely positioned to benefit from this agreement, thanks to last year's initiative to open the first city-level tourism office in China," he said. "The fact that three Chinese airlines serve Los Angeles International Airport is also a decided advantage for Los Angeles."

The average Chinese citizen spends more than 6,000 dollars during a visit to the United States, according to the federal Department of Commerce. In 2006, Chinese tourists spent 109 million dollars in Los Angeles.