Chinese Ambassador to the U.N. Zhang Yesui

Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in New York Peng Keyu

National Committee director Geraldine Kunstadter invited fellow directors and staff members to dinner at her home on April 22 to welcome Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Yesui and Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in New York, Ambassador Peng Keyu, and their spouses to New York.

Ambassador Zhang and his wife, Ambassador Chen Naiqing, were posted to the U.N. Mission 20 years ago (1988-92). His other foreign posting was to the Chinese Embassy to the United Kingdom in London early in his career. He spent many years in Beijing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of International Organizations and Conferences and Protocol Department before rising to assistant minister (2000-2003) and vice minister (2003-2008). She was ambassador to Norway (2003-2007) and ambassador to the Six Party Talks for a year and a half before coming to New York with her husband.

Consul General Peng and his wife, Mme. Yang Jingmei, have represented China on three continents – Asia, Africa, and North America – serving in Pakistan, Malaysia, Zambia (where he was ambassador), San Francisco (where he was consul general), and now New York. He also spent almost twenty years in Beijing in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Consular Affairs, rising over the years from third secretary to director general.

While enjoying beautiful views of Central Park, magnificent art works at the Kunstadter home, and delicious food, guests discussed a wide range of issues facing U.S.-China relations including the situations in Iran and North Korea, the impact of the economic downturn on Chinese domestic politics and international relations, and how China balances state owned enterprise management and increased marketization of the economy.