AUGUST POLICYMAKERS TRIP TO CHINA

August 2-12, 2014

At the start of Congress’s summer recess, USCPF led a delegation of a dozen senior Hill staffers to visit Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. The delegation was composed of staff members from both the House and Senate and both Democrat and Republican parties. They represented a variety of districts, from New York to California and Texas. The theme of this delegation was Energy and Commerce, and thus delegation members came from offices sitting on related committees.

In Beijing, the delegation attended briefings at the US Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They also met with scholars from the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Science, one of Asia’s premier think tanks. These meetings equipped delegate members with a foundational understanding of current affairs in China and US-Sino relations, as well as insights into China’s economic transition and energy outlook.

In Hangzhou, the delegation experienced one of China’s smaller cities. They were welcomed by members of the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress and given an overview of the province’s economic prospects and foreign commerce. They toured the local Mary Kay and Wahaha factories and learned about each company’s business model. Of course, a visit to Hangzhou would not be complete without taking in the beautiful scenery of the historic West Lake, so the delegation also enjoyed a boat tour on the lake, a visit to Leifeng Pagoda, and famous director Zhang Yimou’s show Impression West Lake.

In Shanghai, the delegation met with management at Shanghai General Motors and Global Business Development officers at the Shanghai Stock Exchange. They learned more about Shanghai by visiting the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall and about modern and historical China through visits to the World Expo 2010 and Shanghai Museums.

Before departing China, the delegation attended the “US Congress and CPIFA since 1972” reception in Beijing. The reception celebrated 35 years of US-Sino relations, with a special focus on US Congressional visits to China. Dr. Ernestine Wang, Director of Programs, accepted an award honoring USCPF for its work organizing regular Congressional staff delegations to China. 2 other staff delegations and one Congressional delegation also attended the reception.

During the trip, the delegation was able to engage in a variety of discussions and experience many aspects of life in China that helped increase their understanding of the country and its people. The U.S.-China Policy Foundation was pleased to host another Policymakers Trip and hopes the participants will be able to share what they learned with their respective offices. We would also like to thank the Chinese People