On March 272026, the Chinese Consulate General in New York hosted Echoes Across the Ocean: A China-U.S. Songfest.Over 130 guests from the local communities attended the event.

In his remarks, Consul General Chen Li noted that soulmates are described as “Zhi Yin”in Chinese. He highlighted that Chinese and American songs often share common themes, mirroring the way the hearts of our youth are interconnected. The more young people communicate, the more deeply we understand one another. If the youth of our two nations can become each other’s Zhi Yin, the future of China-U.S. relations will be exceptionally bright. No matter how the world changes, I hope the bond between our youth remains strong and our shared desire to be Zhi Yin stays unchanged.

At the songfest, Chinese and American youth performed each other’s classics, reaching a crescendo with a bilingual “Auld Lang Syne.” Beyond the music, guests bonded over Hanfu and Chinese tea- forging a vibrant friendship and a shared vision for the future in the spirit of spring.