NEW YORK, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese consul-general in New York on Thursday night called for regional cooperation in various fields between China and the United States to cement bilateral ties, and vowed to serve overseas Chinese in the region wholeheartedly.

Huang Ping made the remarks while hosting the first ever reception in his tenure at the Chinese consulate-general by the Hudson River. Several hundred guests, many of whom from the local Chinese community or diplomatic circle, were present at the event.

The veteran diplomat, who was the Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe before this assignment, said that the 10 eastern U.S. states within his consular district serve as the economic, financial, educational and cultural hubs in the country.

The 10 states are also home to over 1.25 million overseas Chinese, thus they have a solid foundation and strong motivation for enhancing ties and cooperation with China, he added.

Huang expressed intention to help strengthen substantive cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding between China and the 10 U.S. states, as well as friendship between the two peoples.

"I've been here for only 15 days and have already felt the immense hospitality shown by people from all walks of life," said Huang. "Most of the people here wish for a healthy and stable China-U.S. relationship. I believe through joint efforts we could overcome any obstacles and keep our ties moving forward."

The 55-year-old diplomat also thanked the local Chinese community for their continuous support for the consulate-general, which he promised will do its best to serve the interests of the overseas Chinese.

The 10 states for which the Chinese consulate-general in New York provides consular services include Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island.