Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao delivered an address on Sino-American relations to 550 guests at a luncheon held in his honor by the National Committee and the US-China Business Council in New York on September 23. It was attended by over 500 guests including members of the two host organizations and the nine other cooperating organizations; major corporations; federal, state and local government officials; policymakers and academia. National Committee Chair Carla Hills, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, former Secretary of State and National Committee director Henry Kissinger, and US-China Business Council director Gregory Brown made remarks at the event.

New York governor David Paterson and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met with Premier Wen before lunch. In addition, a delegation of senior Chinese officials, who were in New York with Premier Wen to attend the opening of the United Nations General Assembly joined the event. They included Yang Jiechi, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Zhang Ping, Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission; Xie Fuzhan, Minister, Research Office of the State Council, as well as Wang Guangya, the Chinese ambassador to the UN and Zhou Wenzhong, Chinese ambassador to the United States.

In his remarks, Premier Wen highlighted the progress in Sino-American relations since his last visit in 2003 that has led to increased mutual trust, closer economic ties and collaboration on issues of shared concern.

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