WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in the United States on Wednesday launched a program titled "My China Album" to encourage people to share their stories and memories relating to ties between the two countries.

The program, co-organized by Chinese newspaper China Daily, was launched to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations.

"We invite you and all our friends all over the United States to come and share with us your most memorable stories with China," Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said.

"Together we will build stronger ties between our peoples, and with your personal stories, you will help make history," he added.

Zhou Shuchun, editor-in-chief of China Daily, said the China-U.S. relationship is "really about the people" and that by sharing of stories and photos of the people, both countries can better bridge the gap of understanding.

The program encourages people in the United States to submit photos and stories highlighting their most memorable experiences in China, especially their interaction with the Chinese people, according to a statement from China Daily.

Judges will choose 10 finalists from all participants and the grand prize will be two round trip flight tickets between New York and Beijing.

The People's Republic of China and the United States formally established diplomatic ties on Jan. 1, 1979.

Bilateral trade grew from a negligible 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in the late 1970s to over 580 billion dollars in 2017, while the stock of two-way investments rose from practically nil to more than 230 billion dollars.