The Chinese Consulate-General in New York City was filled with tears and laughters on Wednesday night, as two groups of people from across the Pacific, linked by a special program 10 years back, had a long-awaited and highly emotional reunion.
In May 2008, a magnitude-8.0 earthquake devastated many parts of southwest China's Sichuan Province. After learning of the tragedy, the State University of New York (SUNY) immediately offered support to the Chinese affected with educational assistance. Three months later, 150 students from the worst-hit counties in Sichuan arrived in New York to study at SUNY's 22 campuses across the state for one academic year.
Titled "SUNY China 150," the program gave the students, who were traumatized by the disaster, much comfort through the brand-new life experience. A special bond was established within themselves as well as between them and the SUNY family.
Though it has been a decade, these old friends -- dozens from SUNY and 13 former students from China, had no difficulty recognizing each other out of some two hundred guests at the Consulate-General celebrating the program's 10th anniversary.
Through their big hugs, cheerful smiles and tearful eyes, one could easily perceive that the friendship has withstood the test of time and distance.
A single night was never enough for them to share the sweet memories, such as savouring mooncakes on Mid-Autumn Festival, throwing birthday parties, shopping in Chinatown, swimming in the Atlantic, meeting with former NBA player Yao Ming, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former New York State Governor David Patterson. The students also planted a tree together with the governor outside his residence.
A short video of greetings from the students and their old photos tugged at the heartstrings of everyone at the gathering. In the blink of an eye, they have grown up and are working in different industries at various places across the world. Yet in the video they all expressed sincere gratitude to the program.
Tan Miao, who currently lives in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, once studied at SUNY's Farmingdale campus in a small village of Long Island. Tan and 18 of her peers were the first group of international students there. "Everyone in that campus treated us like family," she recalled.
"We once planted a tree together with the governor. Actually, we are (just like) that tree," Zheng Yupeng, already a successful architect, told the crowd, adding now it is time for the students to repay the unconditional love given by the Americans.
The plan is to establish a fund for poor American students interested in China to study in universities in Sichuan. Jiang Tao, the main fund manager, said they will launch the initiative soon after the reunion.
"We benefited a lot from their help, and it's been a dream of us to help others when the time is right," Jiang said.
The program members will also do their best to serve as bridges connecting China and the United States, said Wang Sidi, a financial analyst currently living in New York.
Tod Laursen, provost of SUNY, told Xinhua at the event that the story of the program is "very inspirational," especially at a time when US-China ties are facing some problems.
"Sometimes when times are hard, it's even more important to advocate," said the veteran educator who believed in the value of educational exchanges. "We have to continue to push for these sorts of relationships to be possible."
In his speech, Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping lauded the program as a testament of the power of cooperation and engagement between the two countries.
SUNY made tremendous efforts to cover the tuition and living expenses for the 150 students amid the 2008 financial crisis, and with all-out help from the China Scholarship Council, the complex procedures for sending the students to New York were completed in less than five weeks, Huang said.
"This has shown that by working together, China and the United States can make miracles happen," he said.
Moreover, Huang noted, the program's success has demonstrated the significance of people-to-people exchanges.
"We should carry on with the courage and good will demonstrated throughout the 'SUNY China 150' to sustain the cooperation between our two countries," he said.
