Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng quoted lines from domestic animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" in his speech delivered at the 20th anniversary gala of the China General Chamber of Commerce-USA (CGCC) in New York City on Tuesday.
Themed "Building Connections and Creating Opportunities", the celebration, which gathered 300 senior executives, government officials, and thought leaders, commemorated two decades of the CGCC's unwavering commitment to expanding cooperation and opportunities between the U.S. and Chinese business communities.
In his keynote speech, the ambassador quoted the lines as a call to the business communities of both countries to carry forward the entrepreneurial spirit of pioneering and fighting in order to boost confidence, and promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations.
"This Spring Festival holiday witnessed the Chinese economy brimming with vigor. Consumption kicked off to a strong start, the box office revenue set new milestones. The movie, 'Ne Zha 2', tickets for most overseas screenings have already sold out even before the release. In the movie, Ne Zha famously declared 'I am the master of my own destiny'," said Xie.
Animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" became the first Chinese film to gross 10 billion yuan (about 1.39 billion U.S. dollars) when its total global earnings, including presales, reached the mark on Thursday evening, according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan.
Chinese ambassador to US quotes lines from "Ne Zha 2" at CGCC gala
More than a month ahead of the Chinese New Year, restaurants across China have reported a booming demand for reunion dinners, with popular places already fully reserved.
The family reunion dinners on the eve of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important meal of the year for Chinese people. It has long been an essential part of celebrating the Chinese New Year. This year, the festival falls on Feb 17.
In Taiyuan, capital city of north China's Shanxi Province, one restaurant said all tables for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner have been reserved.
"We now have 36 private rooms and 13 tables in the hall. The New Year's Eve dinner is fully booked. Many families started reserving as early as November 2025," said Han Huiyan, a restaurant manager.
To meet the demand, many restaurants start to offer takeaway banquet package that can be easily prepared at home, allowing families to enjoy a variety of festive dishes without dining out.
In Ningbo, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province, many popular restaurants said that they are approaching full reservation levels. To reduce peak demand, some restaurants now offer off-peak reunion dinners starting later at night.
"We now offer a 'second round' of New Year's Eve dinners, which start at 19:30. We also offer discount for such New Year's Eve dinners, a promotion of 20 percent off set menus," said Sun Lijuan, a restaurant manager.
In Lianyungang, a city in east China's Jiangsu Province, smaller private rooms of a local restaurant have been nearly sold out, and customized menus and home-delivery services have drawn strong interest.
"This year we have specially launched the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner delivery service. Bookings are very strong and customers really like this option," said Geng Maoran, a restaurant general manager.
Restaurants see surge in bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners
