Peter Zhang, President of the SAFA Delivers Welcome Remark

The Chinese national flag was raised on Oct.1st in New York by the world-famous Charging Bull on Wall Street to celebrate the 63rd founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China and the 40th anniversary of the “Ping Pong Diplomacy” marked a thaw in US-China relations. The flag-raising ceremony was hosted by the Sino-American Friendship Association (SAFA) and attended by the U.S. and China officials, business executives, community leaders and students from all backgrounds to celebrate the friendship and to promote communication and the mutual understanding between the two countries.

"The friendly exchanges between the Chinese and the Americans are the foundation of the development of the China-U.S. relationship. Wall Street is the lifeblood of the world economy, and the Charging Bull is the symbol of strength and courage. We hope that the China-U.S. relationship will hold the same significance as the Charging Bull and continue to flourish," Peter Zhang, president of the SAFA, said at the ceremony. Holding up the Chinese national flag, president of the American Chinese Commerce Development Association, Jason Lin, told Sinovision that this ceremony will enhance the financial and business cooperation between the two countries. U.S. Table Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, George Braithwaite, who visited China as a member of “Ping Pong Diplomacy Delegation” in 1971, said that it was a pivotal moment for him to raise the U.S. national flag in this special event. With more and more Chinese coming to the United States, people from both countries are gaining a better understanding of each other," David LaMorte, the assistant principle of the New York Tottenville High School, whose marching band played both the Chinese and American national anthems during the ceremony, told the public that his 110 students had a wonderful time learning about China and the Chinese culture, and practicing China's national anthem and other Chinese music.

American Dancers Performing During the Flag-Rraising Ceremony in Wall Street