Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai speaks at a reception to celebrate the Spring Festival in Charlotte, North Carolina. on Wednesday, January 27, 2016. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Zhang Xu]

A senior Chinese diplomat says cooperation at local level will be the top priority for China-U.S. relations this year.

The Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, was speaking during the 2016 Chinese new year gala at the Chinese Embassy in the US city of Charlotte.

Cui also expressed his confidence of the steady development of China-U.S. relations.

"The development of the relations of the two countries, after all, should be rooted in the people of the two countries, and this should be realized through regional cooperation and exchanges, particularly by the Chinese provinces and the states of the United States and the cities of the two countries. With concrete and ever-increasing cooperation, the root of the China-U.S. relationship could be deeper."

By the end of 2014, the number of Chinese enterprises in the United States surpassed 3,000 and Chinese investment in the U.S. reached to 65.22 billion U.S. dollars.

The United States has become the third biggest destination for China's overseas investment.

The ambassador noted that the numbers proved the two economies are mutually complementary.

"The growth speed of the Chinese investment in the United States has surpassed that of American investment in China. It means that our economy is growing and that Chinese companies are competent. In addition, it shows that there are many opportunities for the two economies to be mutually complementary."

Cui said that the 2016 China-U.S. Tourism Year will help increase mutual understanding of the people of the two countries, which will help the further development of relations of the two countries.

Local business leaders, as well as representatives of the local Chinese community in the greater Charlotte metropolitan area, also attended the event.