On June 24, the Beijing City Promotion and Beijing-New York Sister City Concert was held at the Chinese Consulate General in New York. Xia Linmao, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Executive Vice Mayor of Beijing; Huang Ping, Chinese Consul General in New York; John C. Liu, New York State Senator; Lester Chang, Assembly Member of New York State; and Edward Mermelstein, Commissioner for International Affairs and Representative of New York City, delivered speeches. The event was attended by around 200 participants, including members of the Beijing Municipality delegation and guests from sectors such as politics, business, education, science, and culture.

During the event, the Beijing delegation gave a presentation on Beijing’s ongoing efforts to expand high-standard opening-up, cultivate new quality productive forces, promote high-quality development, and build itself into a world-class metropolis that is harmonious and livable. Beijing welcomes friends from various sectors in New York to share its development opportunities, enhance economic and trade cooperation, and deepen people-to-people exchanges, thereby making new and greater contributions to sub-national friendship and exchanges between China and the U.S..

Artists from Beijing offered local audiences a Beijing-style music feast. The traditional Chinese music ensemble performed Jasmine Flower, Jinghu solo Deep Night, Erhu concerto New Horse Racing, and Pipa solo A Moonlit Night on the Spring River, showcasing the unique charm of traditional Chinese music. Vocal solo pieces like The Running Stream, Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon, and O Sole Mio, captivated the audience. Beijing folk songs, American instrumental medley, and History of Tango performed by New York violinists bridged Eastern and Western cultures through music. Jesse Appell, a 90s-born American standup comedian, shared his experiences living in Beijing in both Chinese and English, earning thunderous applause and bringing the atmosphere to a climax.

Mermelstein stated that New York and Beijing share one of the world’s most profound sister-city relationships. The two cities have a solid foundation and enormous potential for cooperation across various fields. Many outstanding individuals from Beijing have contributed significantly to New York’s development, serving as crucial links between the two cities. The New York City government and citizens are eager to continue working with Beijing to advance the sister-city relationship to new heights.

Further Reading

New York was the first American city to establish a sister-city relationship with Beijing. Over the years, the two cities have enjoyed close economic and trade cooperation, and frequent cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

(Based on information from the Chinese Consulate General in New York)