The National Committee hosted a roundtable discussion with Ambassador Wu Jianmin, former Chinese ambassador to France and former president of the China Foreign Affairs University on September 9, 2009, in New York. Ambassador Wu was joined by Ambassador Lü Fengding, former Chinese ambassador to Sweden; Dr. Zhang Yuyan, director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; and Ms. Xu Heming, deputy director of the Foreign Ministry Department of Policy Planning.
The off-the-record session, moderated by National Committee president Steve Orlins, focused on U.S.-China relations, addressing challenges as well as areas for potential cooperation. The following topics were addressed: international and bilateral trade, North Korea, clean energy, the environment, global economics, visa issues, media censorship, President Hu Jintao’s upcoming visit to the U.S., and President Obama’s November visit to China.