On March 7, Consul General Gao Yanping of the People's Republic of China in Houston attended the Houston Chinese New Year Appreciation Gala honoring Harris County Sheriff's Office, Constable Precinct 5 Office and Houston Police Department. There are about 800 people, including Deputy Consul General Zhou Ding, Congressman Al Green, Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Houston City Council Member Brad Bradford, Al Hoang, Assistant Houston Police Chief John Chen, and representatives from Harris County Constable Precinct 5 Office and Houston Asian Communities present at the gathering.

Consul General Gao made remarks extending her Chinese New Year greetings to all the participants. She appreciated the excellent work that Houston police have done in securing the Chinese communities, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese people, and fostering the safety and harmony in the Greater Houston area and Harris County. Consul General Gao appraised the gala as a creative way to strengthen trust and exchange between police officers and local communities, promote harmonious co-existence among ethnic groups and communities. Consul General Gao said that China-U.S. relations are one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world. The Chinese Consulate General would like to work closely with friends from all walks of life to promote China-U.S. friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The gala is a joint effort by Asian Merchants Association, Wong Family Benevolent Association of Houston, Yee Feng Toy Association etc. Local artists also performed traditional Chinese dances and folk songs which had drawn a lot of warm applauses.