We
conclude 2012 with another strong year of advancing C-100’s mission. Three
signature achievements benchmark my strategic priorities of leveraging C-100’s
convening power in the U.S.-China dialogue, our leadership role on Chinese American
issues, and our capabilities in delivering products that elevate the quality of
discourse on U.S.-China relations.
China Policy Debate. Leveraging our
convening power, the Committee in partnership with the Johns Hopkins School of
Advanced International Studies in Washington DC convened a China policy debate – the only China policy-focused
debate endorsed by both U.S. presidential campaigns – in October, two
weeks before the U.S. presidential election. Senior representatives from both
campaigns engaged in a highly substantive exchange on U.S. policy toward China.
As one seasoned Washington insider commented, “This debate was high in content,
low in polemics; one of the very few debates of deep substance in Washington
DC.” Over 400 attended the event and even
more viewed the debate on C-SPAN and contributed questions via social media.
As the United
States approaches a historic presidential
election next month, the topic of U.S.-China relations increasingly pervades
every facet of the national and local political debate. This month’s newsletter
captures the Committee’s commitment to raising the level of debate in the Washington, DC
policy community.
For the past 18 months, one of my strategic priorities has
been to broaden the Committee’s impact in Washington,
DC. Over the past two quarters,
the Committee has made significant headway in engaging DC policymakers through
the Washington Leadership Dialogue. A nine-member-strong C-100 delegation held
a series of high-level meetings in June with key decision makers in Congress
and at the White House and State Department. I am proud to spotlight the
Committee’s decision to release the Statement
of Principles of Guidance for Political Candidates on China-Related Issues during
these meetings. The Statement calls on political candidates at all levels—national,
state, and local—to refrain from using anti-China rhetoric and racial
stereotypes in their political campaigns.
Recent events in U.S.-China relations--the purge of Bo Xilai and high-profile case of a blind Chinese dissident on the eve of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue--underscore the importance of candid communication and cooperation between Washington and Beijing and the people of both countries. In its efforts to deepen bilateral understanding and enhance people-to-people diplomacy, the Committee has made significant strides as evidenced in this month’s newsletter.
The February visit of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping to the United States gave Americans a positive impression of China’s next leader and bodes well for a more open and productive relationship between our two countries. I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Vice President Xi in both Washingt on, D.C. and Los Angeles. He impressed me as being a down-to-earth Chinese leader with whom we can have a genuine exchange of views.
At a luncheon co-hosted by the Committee of 100 in Washington, Vice President Xi emphasized the importance of people-to-people ties in building mutual trust and recalled his first trip to the U.S. 27 years ago when he was hosted by a farm family. On this trip, he took a break from meetings with American government and business leaders to renew these friendships in the small town of Muscatine, Iowa. Vice President Xi also affirmed to me that he welcomed the next Committee of 100 delegation to China, which is planned for late 2012 or early 2013.
In charting our course in the New Year, the Committee of 100 is poised to play a pivotal role in strengthening U.S. - China cooperation for 2012. With major political leadership transitions underway in the United States and Greater China, China issues are front and center in this year’s U.S. presidential and congressional elections. Beijing, Taipei, and Hong Kong are closely attuned to the tone and tenor of candidates’ attitudes toward key issues affecting bilateral relations.
This year’s Greater China Conference in Hong Kong on December 4 and 5 will focus on four timely issues fueling China’s economic engine—the Chinese consumer, the internationalization of the RMB, bilateral educational partnerships, and China’s investment abroad—all of which have global repercussions.C-100 is honored that the United States Ambassador to China, Gary Locke, will address participants at both our opening gala and the next day’s conference. PBS Talk show host Tavis Smiley will provide memorable highlights of his “Postcards from China” series, which was produced with substantial support from the Committee. Smiley was a participant in the 2010 C-100 Journalist Delegation. I would like to express my gratitude to the conference co-chairs ─ Ronnie Chan, Tony Chan, Victor Fung, and Ya-Qin Zhang ─ for assembling a stellar line-up of speakers and participants.
2012 will be a year of opportunity for the Committee of 100 to bring our unique perspective as Chinese Americans to the debates about U.S. policy on China that will abound this election year. As we gear up our Washington D.C. Initiative to engage with the Administration and Congress on China policy and Asian American issues, we are also planning an opinion survey that will reveal how Chinese see America and how Americans view China.
This mirror survey will be released at next April’s Annual Conference in Los Angeles and updates our 2007 poll, Hope and Fear: American and Chinese Attitudes Toward Each Other. You’ll learn more about the survey in upcoming issues of Committee Bridges.
John Chen’s leadership of C-100 these past two years successfully engaged our members to get actively involved reinforcing the foundation of the Committee of 100. I am proud to take over as C-100 Chairman and will do my utmost to deliver on the confidence and trust that the membership has placed in me.
Thanks to John and to the outstanding work of our 20th Anniversary Conference Co-Chairs, Clarence Kwan, James Li and Lulu Wang, we held a record-breaking Annual Conference and gala on May 12 in New York City. C-100 is now prepared to develop new programs and strengthen existing initiatives in support of our dual mission.
In our extraordinarily complex global political landscape, mutual understanding and collaboration between the United States and China is indispensable. This reality informs the theme of this year’s conference, “COMMON GROUND.” In gathering the best minds from politics, business and culture today, we seek to spark dialogue and deepen understanding of the key issues impacting both countries. I thank our Conference Co-chairs, sponsors, C-100 members, staff and volunteers for their hard work in ensuring the quality and success of this Conference. I am honored that my tenure as Chairman of the Committee of 100 culminates in the celebration of our 20th annual conference.
Since the inception of the Committee of 100 more than two decades ago, the continued dedication of our members and the support of our key stakeholders have enabled us to achieve real and measurable results. I am personally gratified to have played a role in our most recent successes in my role as Chairman for the past two years.
I am pleased to announce that Dominic Ng will be the next Chair of the Committee of 100. He will take over leadership of the Committee in May. Dominic has been a C-100 member since 2000 and is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of East West Bancorp, as well as an active philanthropist and civic leader in Southern California.
Consistent with our mission to promote the full integration of Chinese Americans, the Committee of 100 proudly endorses the nomination of U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to be our next Ambassador to China. On behalf of C-100, I wrote a letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to express our support.
