Xie also drew on the story of American teacher Ronald Sakolsky and Chinese desert control worker Yin Yuzhen. The $5,000 in funding Sakolsky secured from a US charity helped purchase 50,000 saplings, while Yin cared for the trees for more than two decades. "When two individuals from our two countries join hands, the impossible becomes possible. Just imagine: If more people come together and our two countries move in the same direction, what bigger miracles can we create?" Xie said.

　　"With the eight deliverables achieved during our presidents' summit and a series of mutually beneficial arrangements reached between the two economic and trade teams, we are witnessing brighter prospects for China-US cooperation," Xie said.

　　Referring to the Mayflower Hotel, which once housed China's Liaison Office in the United States, he said the venue had witnessed the historic normalization in the China-US relationship.

　　The envoy noted that the most important inspiration from the past decades is that "China and the United States stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation".

　　Also speaking at the dinner, Maryland Secretary of State Lee said the cultural, artistic and musical events bring America, Maryland and China closer together and can lead to further cultural and youth exchanges.

　　Maryland established a sister-state relationship with Anhui province in 1980 and renewed the agreement last year, she said. "While government diplomacy is so very important, equally so is people-to-people diplomacy," Lee said.

　　At the dinner, Xie also presented awards to individuals and organizations recognized for their contributions to China-US business, people-to-people ties, social responsibility, and youth and cultural exchanges.