By Xinming Li, bostonese.com
Boston, Dec. 29, 2015, — Close to 300 guests attended 2016 New Year Reception at Boston Harbor Hotel hosted by Chinese Consulate General in New York yesterday evening. Ambassador Zhang Qiyue, Consul General of the Chinese Consulate, delivered a speech that highlighted the achievements in Sino-US relations over the past year. Representatives of Gov. Baker and Mayor Walsh along with elected officials attended the reception.
Ambassador Zhang(3rd from right, front row) and members of Chinese Progressive Association pose for a picture (photos by Xinming Li).
According to Ambassador Zhang, the number of visits between US and China hit a record high of over six million in 2015, and the record number of lobsters from New England were exported to China thanks to direct flights between Boston and Beijing, and between Boston and Shanghai by Hainan Airlines.
“People in China know the lobsters are from Boston, and call them Boston Lobster. But, actually they were mostly from Maine,” said Ambassador Zhang.
She also stressed the importance of the State Visit by President Xi jinping in September this year. President Obama created the One Million Strong initiative, which aims to have the number of Americans learning Chinese to reach one million by 2020.
“President Xi and President Obama agreed that 2016 will be China-US Year of Tourism. In the past year, 17,000 people traveled across the Pacific every day. With the issuance of 10-year visas to tourists and businessmen and five-year visas to students, the number of mutual visits is expected to grow by 15 percent annually,” said Ambassador Zhang. She wished all the guest a happy and healthy 2016, the Year of Monkey.
Students from Cambridge Center for Chinese Culture performed dances. Renowned guzheng artist Hui Weng(pictured above) also performed to the delight of the guests. Delicious Chinese food was served at the reception.
Please check out some pictures from the reception below.
