NEW YORK, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Governor of the U.S. state of New York Andrew M. Cuomo was honored here Thursday night with the annual Blue Cloud Award by the China Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing understanding and deepening trust between the two countries.
"This is very very high honor for our governor, he'll treasure this, this is really a huge recognition," New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul told about 300 hundred global leaders in business, culture and fashion after she accepted the award on behalf of Cuomo at the China Institute Gala held in Lower Manhattan.
"Our governor has truly made this relationship one of his high priorities, we have had our three trade missions and the fourth is being planned," said Hochul. "We have trade offices and tourism offices in China, and we have people on the ground to make sure there is a wide opening door way between our two countries, and our cities as well."
Hochul also highly praised the Chinese American community's valuable contribution to the state and the NYC. "The Chinese immigrants really helped build the fabric of our city, and made it such a great community as it is," she said.
The other recipients of the Blue Cloud Award are: Ronald O. Perelman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MacAndrews & Forbes Incorporated; Vera Wang, the prominent bridal wear designer; Ning Yuan, Chairman and President of China Construction America; and Robert Hong Xiao, Chief Executive Officer of Perfect World Co., Ltd.
The event was emceed by China Institute trustees Yue-Sai Kan, the Emmy Award-winning television host and producer and Mei He, a recipient of the Eisenhower Foundation International Leadership Award.
The Snow Lotus Trio, a Tibetan music ensemble consisting of three sisters from Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, entertained the honorees and guests with their compelling performances featuring traditional costumes, dancing, and singing.
Also at the gala, Hainan Airlines of China celebrated the launch of its Panda Express routes to Chengdu and Chongqing.
Founded nearly a century ago by forward thinking educators including Dr. Hu Shi, John Dewey, and leading educators at Columbia University, the China Institute was built on a belief in cross-cultural scholarship and dialogue as a foundation for strong and positive U.S.- China relations.
The Blue Cloud Award is presented to remarkable individuals who have strengthened the bonds between the United States and China and exemplify the spirit and values of the China Institute.
