Concert held in Shanghai to mark 50th anniversary of Shanghai Communique

Zhang Yang

O n the evening of Feb 28， a concert commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Shanghai Communique was held in Shanghai， co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government.

Gong Zheng， mayor of Shanghai， attended and delivered a speech.

More than 200 guests from political， business and academic circles of China and the United States attended the concert， including Lin Songtian， president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries； Wang Chao， president of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs； Cui Tiankai， former Chinese ambassador to the US； Tang Wensheng， adviser to the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese； David Meale， charge d’affaires of the US embassy in China； and James Heller， head of the US consulate in Shanghai.

Well-known Chinese and American art groups and artists gave wonderful performances live or via video， including the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra， Shanghai Opera House Choir， Zide Guqin Studio， Philadelphia Orchestra， Brigham Young University Art Troupe， Shanghai Quartet and performers Liao Changyong and Shi Yihong.

In his speech， Mayor Gong noted that it was 50 years ago that the Shanghai Communique was issued， marking the beginning of the normalization of China-US relations and laying the foundation for the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries.

“Music is a universal language，”he said. “This concert has been actively participated in and strongly supported by people from all walks of life in China and the US.”

He expressed hope that through the bridge of music， the audience would fully appreciate the good wishes of the two peoples and jointly write a new chapter of enhanced China-US friendship.

Nicholas Platt， former US ambassador， and Matias Tarnopolsky， president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra， delivered video remarks.

Handshake across the Pacific

During US President Richard Nixon’s visit to China in 1972， Premier Zhou Enlai arranged for a band to play America the Beautiful at the welcome dinner， which left a deep impression on the American guests. As this year’s commemorative concert opened， the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra performed the classic piece again， making the audience feel as if they were once again part of the welcoming atmosphere of 50 years ago. Liao Changyong， a famous Chinese singer， sang Redwood —a song written by Chinese artists about the touching story of President Nixon personally planting a redwood tree in Hangzhou during his visit to China and wishing for everlasting friendship between China and the US.

Surprise cultural blending

At the concert， Zide Guqin Studio， a Chinese traditional orchestra， and the Shanghai Philharmonic jointly performed Over the Rainbow， theme song of the American movie The Wizard of Oz. The crossover collision between traditional folk music， the symphony and jazz was refreshing. Shi Yihong， a noted Peking Opera artist， performed the opera Icy Moon Rising Above the Sea， which she has performed on her many tours in the US. The quintessential Chinese culture captivated audiences in both countries. Butterfly Lovers performed by the orchestra， as well as the Chinese acrobats， won prolonged applause from the audience. Magical Surprise， performed by Shanghai Disney Resort showed the mutual learning and common prosperity of Chinese and American cultures and conveyed youthful vitality.

Common vision for bright future

As the first American art troupe to perform in China after the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations， the Brigham Young University Art Troupe had recorded a song and dance titled Sit Down， You’re Rocking the Boat， specifically for the concert. The Shanghai Quartet， a chamber music group that has long been committed to promoting cultural and artistic exchanges between China and the US and now teaches at the Tianjin Juilliard School， played String Quartet No. 12 in F Major by Antonín Leopold Dvorak. Nearly 100 children from Shanghai Little Star Art Troupe， Little Companion Art Troupe of CWICP and Shanghai American School， performed a Chinese folk song， together with US business representatives. The performance brought the concert to a climax. It was a perfect interpretation of the theme of China-US friendship， as well as a reflection of the shared aspiration for a future of bilateral friendship. The concert ended amid warm melodies with good wishes.

Cui Tiankai said the concert was the most positive event in China-US relations in recent years. The Chinese and American audience spoke highly of it， saying its distinct theme was full of warmth and created positive expectations for China-US relations.

Six Chinese video websites， including Tencent Video and Bilibili， broadcast the concert live online. It attracted nearly 600，000 viewers， according to preliminary data.