Xi's visit adds to pride of National Day

Hundreds of Chinese and American citizens who deeply care about China-US relations gathered at the Chinese Consulate General in New York on Wednesday evening to celebrate the People's Republic of China's 66th birthday.

The ceremony was filled with talk of President Xi Jinping's successful visit the past week to the US and the United Nations.

During Consul General Zhang Qiyue's speech, she revealed that on the menu of the latest White House state dinner honoring Xi's visit, one dish in particular was of interest to her: the Boston lobster cooked with Chinese rice wine, she said.

"The two items were vastly different, and were from thousands of miles apart, but apparently they went very well together," Zhang continued. "Our two countries are different in many ways, but with extensive common interests and close bounds of our people, we can work it out and still be great partners."

Zhang announced that during Xi's visit, China and the US had reached 49 outcomes.

"It's a brilliant visit. It was wonderful to go to Seattle and make the relationships with the technology companies. There are so many commonalities that we have, and the trip brought that out," said Maryalice Mazzara, the American director of the Confucius Institute for Business at the State University of New York.

Xie Zhenhua, vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, was invited to share the progress in the two countries' agreement on climate change, and he said the joint announcement issued several days ago at the United Nations was a milestone on climate-change cooperation between China and the US.

Shirley Young, chairwoman of the US-China Cultural Institute, praised Xi's visit for China's great contribution to the UN. "It shows a new role in the world," Young said. She also spoke highly of first lady Peng Liyuan for showing "another face of China in term of culture and the appreciation of young people's development".

"It's the first time she's been a public persona, independently giving a speech in English," Young said. "She did a beautiful job."

"She's wonderful. Charming, graceful, speaks beautifully. I mean she couldn't be a better ambassador for her country," said Clive Gillison, Carnegie Hall's executive and artistic director, who also announced at the ceremony that the US National Youth Orchestra will go back to China on a regular basis, "which will happen nowhere else," he said.

"We are absolutely clear that the relationship between China and the US will effectively define the 21st century, Gillison said. "If that relationship is a great relationship, it's going to be an extraordinary century."

At a reception celebrating National Day held at the Permanent Mission of China to the UN on Wednesday night, Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, said this year has been a very important one for China and the Sino-US relationship.

Liu reviewed the fruitful results of Xi's tour of the US.

For development, China just set up the South-South Cooperation, which is the exchange of resources, technology and knowledge between developing countries, also known as countries of the global south, with an initial contribution of $2 billion. Also, $3 billion will go to help developing countries combat climate change.

Another initiative launched was the "Six 100s", to help the developing countries in poverty reduction, agriculture, trade, the environment, health and education in the next five years.

China also will set up an Academy of South-South Cooperation and Development, and provide $2 million aid to the World Health Organization.

To support UN peacekeeping operations, China will set up a permanent peacekeeping police squad with 8,000 Chinese troops.

China will train 2,000 peacekeepers from other countries over the next five years and carry out 10 de-mining assistance programs. It also will provide $100 million in military aid to the African Union over the next five years. China will send the first peacekeeping helicopter squad to UN peacekeeping operations in Africa.

Henry Kissinger, former US national security advisor, and Zhou Ming, head of the military staff committee of the Permanent Mission of China to the UN, also attended.