As the sweltering summer is losing its domination, the US-China Foundation experienced a busy but very rewarding period. The enthusiasm for teamwork has found their expression in the efficient and rewarding work of the USCF staff.
In the early August, the well-prepared “US-China Forum” the Third Session was held its press conference separately in Beijing and Shenyang.
On Aug 1, the press conference was held successfully in Beijing International Trade Hotel. More than 20 medias made reports about this forum.
On Aug 24, a press conference took place in Shenyang both for the forum and for the “World Musical Treasure Concert” in the conference room on the 24th floor of the Sankei Torch Building.
The USCF Beijing Office was engaged in many very time-consuming preparations for these important events.
The Shenyang Office was mainly engaged in promoting the forum and arranging the accommodations as well. On Aug 28, the mayor of Durham of the United States, Mr. William Bell, who would attend the forum arrived in Shenyang, accompanied by the well-known American investment banker, Mr. William Harrison and his wife, the Board Chairman of the US Queen Institute, Dr. Billy Wireman, the Legal Consultant of North Carolina in charge of Finance and Investment, David Robinson, the senior consultant of Bank of America and the Chairman of the Glaucoma General Investigation of the United States and the Director of the International Lions Clubs, Mr. Gene Grace; Senior Advisor of World Bank Mr. Robert McAfee & Mrs. McAfee.
The forum had gotten energetic support from the People’s government of Liaoning Province. The top leaders including the Governor, Mr. Bo Xilai, the Vice-governors, Mr. Zhao Xinliang and Mr. Xia Deren, had conveyed their warm attention and greetings and the Vice-governor Mr. Zhao Xinliang hosted a grand welcome banquet for the American guests at the Friendship Hotel on Sep 29 with all his fellow Director from Education, Construction, Environment, and etc.
At the banquet, the American guests made a warm conversation with the governor about the questions in the fields of education, environmental protection, construction, transportation, etc. And the American guests extended to Mr. Zhao their cordial invitation to visit America in the very near future. They also initially discussed the plan of setting up an International University in Liaonig.
“The China Investment Forum sponsored by the People’s Government of Shenyang and co-sponsored by the Shenyang People’s Government Municipal Bureau of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and the US-China Foundation, took place at the 21st Century Building on Aug 29. With the accompany of the executive director of USCF, Mr. Larry L. Lee, the mayor of Shenyang, Mr. Chen Zhenggao and the Secretary of Shenyang Municipal Party Committee, Mr. Zhang Xingxiang met the distinguished American guests. The mayor of Durham Mr. William Bell made an excellent speech with the topic of “From a Traditional Old Industrial Town to the Brand-New Modern City Boasting its New and High Technology and Outstanding Environmental Protection”. The Board Chairman of The US Queen Institute, Dr. Billy Wireman and the well-known American investment banker, Mr. William Harrison also contributed important speeches.
At 1:00 pm of Aug 30, for the purpose of meeting the needs of our friends from all walks of society, conforming to the trend of international economic cooperation and strengthening the communication of the Liaoning Province and Shenyang with the international society, we held a lecture on overseas investment in the conference room on the 24th floor of the Sankei Torch Building. In addition, the US-China Foundation specially held a “World Musical Treasure Concert” by the artists from all over the world as a coordination of the “US-China Forum” the Third Session in the course of “the International Equipment Manufacturing Exposition China” All the distinguished guests at home and aboard attened the concert. The actors and actresses included: the seventeen-year-old American Chinese violinist prince, Mr. Howard Hao Zhang, the well-known American Russian soprano, Svetlana Strezeva, the well-known Romanian tenor, Vasile Cheptenari, the young Chinese soprano and the Culture & Art Exchange Supervisor of the US-China Foundation, Ms. Julia Zhu and the famous Swiss Conductor Niklaus Wyss. The concert was hosted by the well-known hostess of Liaoning TV Station. It was held at 7o’clock on August 31st in “Ba yi Theatre”very successfully, making the people in Shenyang enjoyed the charm of the classical music.
On Sep 1, the Board Chairman of The US Queen Institute, Mr. Billy Wireman gave two excellent speeches in the China Renmin University and the Humanity University in Beijing.
On the afternoon of Sep 1, by the invitation of the Changchun city, Jilin Province, the mayor of Durham, Mr. William Bell, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison and Mr. and Mrs. McAfee visited the High Technology Zone of Changchun, the Economy & Technology Developing Zone of Changchun and the Jingyuetan Traveling Developing Zone of Changchun. They enjoyed a warm conversation with the entrepreneurs from such well-known groups like Shengou Software and Hongyuan.
On Sep 2, the American guests visited Changchun Finance & Economy Institute, and talked with the school leaders about the reconstruction of the old school buildings and build a new campus. At noon, the top leaders of Changchun, including the mayor, the secretary-general and the director of the Foreign Affairs Office held a formal banquet for the American Visitors.
On Sep 3, the mayor of Durham, Mr. William Bell visited the Great Wall and the Palace Museum in Beijing. And, Mr. Zhao Shiming, President of Beijing Huaneng Group and member of USCF set a evening banquet with his wife at Tenggelitala Mongolian Restaurant in Beijing, with beautiful singing and dancing provided by Mongolian artists. The atmosphere during the banquet was really cheerful and enjoyable.
At 19:00 of Sep 4, an informal gathering/reception, entitled “Welcom Mayor William Bell in Beijing” was held in honor of the mayor of Durham in the Beijing International Trade Hotel. The distinguished Chinese guests include: the First Chinese Ambassador to the US and the General Advisor of the US-China Foundation, Mr.Chai Zemin and his wife, the former United Nations’ Under Secretariat Mr. Jin Yongjian, the former Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations and the deputy director of the Political Consultative Conference Committee, Mr. Qin Huasun, the former Director of the Department of the Affairs of the Americas and Oceania, the Chinese Ambassador to Canada and the Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Political Consultative Conference, Mr. Zhang Yijun, the mayor of Durham, Mr. William Bell, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, Mr. and Mrs. McAfee, the General Manager of the Air China, Mr. Jia Tiesheng, the General Manager of Huaneng Group, Mr. Zhao Shiming, the Executive director of the Citi Group, Ms. Holly Lee; the well-known scholar of the Chinese Academy of Social Science, Prof.. Wang Fengzhen and his wife, and etc.
At 19:30 of Sep 5, USCF’s concert series “Musical Night of New York” was put on the stage in Beijing Forbidden City Musical Hall. The whole concert was performed by the Symphony Ochestra of the Central Ballet Troupe and conducted by the famous Conductor, Mr. Niklaus Wyss. The honorable guests who were present to the concert included the first Vice - Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the last Chinese Ambassador to USA, Mr. Li Zhaoxing, the Vice–Chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission, Mr. Gao Xiqing, the Chinese Famous Vocal Music Professor, Li Jinwei, and the First Chinese Ambassador to US and the General Advisor of the US-China Foundation, Mr.Chai Zemin and his wife, the former United Nations’ Under Secretariat, Mr. Jin Yongjian, the Senior Advisor of the US-China Foundation, the famous lawyer, Mr. XiaoYongzhen, etc. The concert got the extremely high evaluation and comments from all audiences.
On Sep 6 morning, by the invitation of the Dalian Government, Mr. William Bell, Mr. and Mrs. William Harrison, Ambassador Qin Huasun and Mr. Larry L. Lee attended “the Liaoing International Conference on Urban Environment and Restructuring” in Dalian. The conference was co-sponsored by the Liaoning Provincial Government, the European Union and the World Bank. The welcome banquets were held separately in honor of these American guests by the top leaders of Liaoning Province and Dalian City, including Vice Governor Mr. Zhao Xinliang, the mayor, Mr. Li Yongjin, the Deputy-mayor, Mr. Liu Changde and the Chairman of Dalian Political Consultative Conference.
On Sep 6 afternoon, accompanied by Vice Governor Mr. Zhao Xinliang, the American guests visited Dalian Xinhai Square, which is the largest square in Asia. They had a concrete discussion for university presidents and director of Xinhai Real Estate Investment Corp. on the project of Dailian International University, which will be the first initiated in China. The university will follow the American educational standard and use all American curriculum, and American faculty members. It will attract the students not only from China, but also from the whole world.
At 8:00 of Sep 6, the USCF put on the stage the “World Musical Treasure Concert” – a series of “Music Night of New York” in Dalian People’ s Cultural Club Theatre, which is located in the center of the city. As the board member of the US-China Foundation, the Dalian Railway University co-sponsored the excellent concert. The former Chinese Ambassador in United Nations, Mr. Qin Huasun, the vice-governor of Liaoning Province, Mr. Zhao Xinliang and his wife, the mayor of Dalian, and many other distinguished guests attended this concert and evaluated it very highly.
By the end of Sep 6, all the relative activities of “the US-China Forum” the Third Session had been accomplished in Beijing.
All these above made the enthusiasm for teamwork of the US-China Foundation staff strengthened, their capability of communication enhanced and, at the same time, the experiences in organizing larger activity enriched. The success of this forum has facilitated the understanding of the people of China and America, strengthened the cooperation; and at the same time, the reputation of the US-China Foundation in both US and China raised into a even higher level.
