Nasdaq special opening bell celebrates Chinese New Year

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The New York-based Nasdaq stock exchange marked the Chinese Lunar New Year on Friday with a special bell-ringing ceremony to kick off the day's trading.

Zhang Qiyue, the Chinese Consul General in New York, rings the Nasdaq opening bell in celebration of the Chinese New Year on January 27, 2017. /Twitter Photo

Zhang Qiyue, Chinese Consul General in New York, rang the opening bell.

"Today we are here not just to mark the beginning of the spring, but to celebrate the growing business relationship between the two countries," Zhang said at the ceremony.

She noted that as one of the world's largest stock exchanges, Nasdaq has witnessed firsthand China's economic growth over the years. Today, the Chinese economy has maintained a sound growth momentum with GDP growth reaching 6.7 percent last year.

"The country is turning itself from a big manufacturing and export hub into a center of innovation and consumption," said Zhang.

She said bilateral trade and investment have created jobs in the US and added prosperity to the US economy.

Bob McCooey, Senior Vice President of Listings Service at Nasdaq said at the ceremony that 2016 marked a milestone year in the close relationship between the US and China.

"As we look at the two largest economies in the world, we recognize that we have a shared interest in promoting a strong and open global economy," he said.

"Each county has a stake in promoting economic prosperity of the other, and a close alliance between the two lays a foundation for strong and sustainable growth of the global economy, which is so important for all of us," McCooey added.

Zhang Qiyue, Chinese Consul General in New York, poses for a collective photo in Nasdaq stock exchange on January 27, 2017. /photo via Twitter

The stock exchange put up pictures of roosters and the phrase "Happy Chinese New Year" on its large digital screens at the Times Square in New York City in celebration of Chinese Lunar New Year on Friday.

(Source: Xinhua)