In May 1973, the National Committee and American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) brought the first delegation of journalists from the People’s Republic of China to the United States. Twenty-one Chinese journalists participated in the month-long visit, which reciprocated an ASNE trip to China that had taken place the prior fall.

The ten-city itinerary – including New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, and Honolulu – was arranged to allow the Chinese journalists to experience different regions of the United States. The Chinese journalists not only met with their professional counterparts during their travels, but also had the opportunity to speak with American governors, mayors, university presidents, students, and factory workers, among others.

The delegation was led by Mr. Zhu Muchi, director of the Xinhua News Agency, and included leading journalists from Chinese publications and government information agencies. Delegation members enthusiastically asked questions about American culture, government, and economics wherever they went. The trip paved the way for future National Committee-sponsored exchanges in the print and electronic media fields. Since 1973, several hundred journalists and media executives have participated in its exchange programs and media-related conferences, workshops and internships.