HOUSTON, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Consulate General in Houston hosted a reception on Wednesday night, celebrating the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, which was attended by representatives from various local groups and overseas Chinese.

The hall of the consulate general was decorated with red balloons and lights, showing a festive atmosphere to all the guests. Traditional Chinese cuisine was also prepared.

In his speech, Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin said that positive bilateral relations benefit people from both China and the United States as well as global development.

"Now both sides would like to continue and expand cooperation," Li said.

Li also extended New Year greetings to the motherland. "I wish our great motherland to prosper and China-U.S. relations to grow in the year 2019," he said.

Jon R. Taylor, a political science professor at University of St. Thomas in Houston, told Xinhua that participating in local Spring Festival celebrations with his family was a unique and interesting cultural experience.

"Chinese Spring Festival has been more and more popular in the past 20 years. This is directly related to China's sustainable economic development," Taylor said. "China's reform and opening up has brought more people to the United States, who also bring their own cultural traditions here."