SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21 -- The Chinese community of the Bay Area in the United States on Saturday held a ceremony, marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

The celebrations at the heart of San Francisco Chinatown featured lion dances, singing and dancing, and other art performances by local school students and overseas Chinese artists in Northern California.

Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Wang Donghua recalled the great achievements that China has scored in the past seven decades, which turned China from a weak state into the world's second largest economy.

"China's gross domestic product (GDP) reached 13.6 trillion U.S. dollars last year, 174 times the figure in 1952, and the per capita income of Chinese people have grown several hundred times to hit 9,732 dollars in 2018," he said.

"Chinese people are living a much happier life than any other time in the past," he said.

The Chinese economic success over the years proved that China has found a path of development best suited to its own national conditions, said the senior Chinese diplomat.

Wang noted that this year marks the 40th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic ties, and China's thriving economic growth helped support more than 1.1 million jobs in the United States.

He said China is willing to work with the U.S. side to expand their mutually beneficial cooperation and promote a stable bilateral relationship that will bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Wang also commended the tremendous contributions made by overseas Chinese to helping develop China-U.S. relations and supporting the development of their home country.

Chu Wen Huang, president of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in San Francisco, said the overseas Chinese are closely linked to the development of China.

The overseas Chinese are proud of the achievements made by China in the past 70 years, and hoped China and the United States would resolve their trade differences through friendly talks, which will benefit both American and Chinese people and conducive to world peace, he said.

Wei Ming He, president of the Committee to Promote the Reunification of China San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, told Xinhua that "Today's ceremony really inspired members of the Chinese community here and their younger generations to carry forward the Chinese culture and historical heritage."

Xinglin Li, a 12th grader of Nam Kue Chinese School in San Francisco, expressed her proud connections with China.

"I just feel like Chinese Americans are enthusiastic about Chinese culture and they are proud of who they are and what their culture represents," said Li, a second-generation Chinese immigrant.

"With China's rapid growth, you've been seeing a lot more (Chinese) entrepreneurs in the United States, and a lot of products (that) are made in China," she said. "That's what we're proud to see in the United States."