SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- More than 500 Chinese and American guests from all walks of life gathered here Monday to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 16.

The celebration was held by the Consulate General of China in San Fransciso, a major resort city on the U.S. west coast, in honor of overseas Chinese and American friends who worked hard in the past year to build a more solid and friendly relationship between the two countries.

Chinese Consul General Luo Linquan said at the event that the year 2018 is an important year for the success of China-U.S. relations.

"Based on the development of the past 40 years of China-U.S. relations, we must always adhere to the correct orientation to build a firmer bilateral relationship so as to benefit the two countries and the world," he said.

The practical cooperation between China and the United States will surely benefit the two peoples, and bring tangible benefits to the vast number of overseas Chinese in the United States, he said.

London Breed, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, told the audience that the city's late Mayor Ed Lee had developed an incredible relationship between China and San Francisco.

She pledged to continue to foster that relations and do everything possible to "work collaboratively to maintain our relationship of good will."