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December 5 - Annual Gala Dinner in honor of Vice Minister Long
Yongtu The U.S.-China Policy Foundation's Annual Dinner, held this year at the Washington Four Seasons Hotel, provided an appropriate backdrop for a discussion of the amazing progress China has made since acceding to the WTO over a year ago. Keynote speaker and China's chief WTO negotiator, Vice Minister Long Yongtu, noted that the benefits of trade which have developed between China and the rest of the world have been mutually advantageous and may be seen as a "win-win" situation. Vice Minister Long also expressed his optimism for the continued development of China's economy since WTO accession, citing several industries that have grown beyond expectations, in particular the auto industry. The event was well attended by a diverse audience, which included prominent leaders in government, business and academia. September 25 - "The Taiwan Issue and US-China Relations" with Xu Shiquan, President of the Institute of Taiwan Affairs at the Chinese Academy of Social Science, Su Ge, Vice-President of the China Institute of International Studies, and Yang Jiemian, Vice-President of the Shanghai Institute of International Studies. With the upcoming visit by Chinese Premier Jiang Zemin to President Bush's Crawford Ranch and the 16th Party Congress in November, Chinese Scholars Xu, Su, and Yang emphasized the importance of the US-China bilateral relationship. Common interests such as global and regional stability and economic growth are mutually beneficial to both countries and should not be overshadowed by tensions over anti-terrorism, the non-proliferation of weapons, and relations with Taiwan according to Dr. Yang. Dr. Xu believes that China is committed to one country, two systems and that Chinese on both the mainland and Taiwan see closer relations between the two for the future. With this in mind, Dr. Su recommends that the United States Congressional leadership continue to expand the areas of cooperation with China. |