China News Service (CNS) marked its 60th anniversary by looking back at momentous changes in Chinese society and the world, as well as operations at this agency, which mainly serves audiences abroad.

CNS President Liu Beixian, addressing over 100 guests in a ballroom of New York's famed Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Friday night, spoke of key moments covering the news since the agency's founding in 1952. He said CNS has been a bridge of understanding between China and the United States.

"CNS leads the world's Chinese-language media and serves the global Chinese community, building itself as a top-flight global news organization," Liu said.

The past six decades have seen it grow from a few dozen journalists to 48 domestic and foreign bureaus with a staff of more than 2,000.

Since opening its first US bureau in the 1980s, CNS has been a channel for "Chinese voices" to report objectively on the evolving US-China relationship, while striving to promote mutual trust and understanding among the people's as well as governments.

Friday's anniversary celebration brought together high-profile guests including Li Baodong, China's permanent representative to the UN; Sun Guoxiang, Chinese consul general in New York; and maritime-shipping executive James Chao, father of former US labor secretary Elaine Chao.

Sun praised CNS for the contribution its coverage has made in improving US-China relations over the years.

Liu recalled his experience as a CNS reporter covering a meeting of leaders from the five permanent Security Council members during the 2000 UN Millennium Summit. He had managed to get through tight security for talks among the heads of government from China, the US, Britain, France and Russia - in a Waldorf-Astoria ballroom just across the hall from the site of Friday's celebration.

That story triggered Ambassador Li's memory of the same meeting, which he attended as a member of the Chinese delegation. Chinese diplomats handled documents for the assembled leaders while the US side dealt with security, he explained.

The agency, Liu said, will continue to expand its US operations.

"It will be better to tell America about the real China, and tell China about the real America," he said. "Improvement of US-China relations won't happen overnight, but we are optimistic and will maintain our commitment."

yuwei12@chinadailyusa.com