The 2007 Congressional staff delegation to China

In June 2009, the Committee took its latest delegation of Congressional staffers to China, continuing its history of organizing and executing U.S. Congressional staff trips to China, first begun in 1976. The visit also continued the Committee’s close working relationships with the U.S.-China Working Group, the National People’s Congress and the Chinese Embassy.

During the eight-day visit to Beijing, Ururmuqi, Kashgar and Shanghai, ten staff members (equally divided between Republicans and Democrats) met with their counterparts and officials in Beijng and Shanghai at the National People’s Congress, as well as with representatives from the Public Security Bureau and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Several security specialists were also brought together by the China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies to meet with the group and discuss issues including energy security, efforts to combat terrorism and narcotics trafficking, and various issues in the Sino-American relationship. These discussions were supplemented with site visits and meetings with members of the business and NGO communities (both Chinese and international), U.S. Embassy officers, and private Chinese citizens. In Xinjiang, the focus was on minority issues, counter-terrorism, and economic development.

This program was arranged with funding from the National People’s Congress, under the Mutual Education and Cultural Exchange Act, and with facilitative assistance from the Starr Foundation.

Past staff delegations have taken place in March 2008 to Yunnan (including Kunming, Jinghong in Xishuangbanna, and the border town of Daluo) and, in July 2007 to Shanghai, Beijing, and several cities and small towns in western China’s Qinghai Province. In addition the National Committee, again working with the USCWG, organized a District Staff delegation to China in December 2008.