Discover China 2010

The Discover China team with Mr. Tung Chee-hwa, first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Founder of the China-U.S. Exchange Foundation (CUSEF). From left to right: Chen Yonglong, Former Ambassador to Israel and Vice President of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA); John Pomfret, Outlook Editor at The Washington Post; Stephan Richter, Editor-in-Chief of The Globalist; Juliet Eilperin, National Reporter at The Washington Post; Mr. Tung; Eleanor Clift, Contributing Editor at Newsweek; John Arundel, Associate Publisher at Washington Life; Zaahira Wyne, Discover China Program Director; Clarie Lo, CUSEF Chief Executive Officer.
“IFE is at the forefront of organizations that are trying to help China tell its story. It’s a tough job, but IFE should be commended for its efforts.” John Pomfret, The Washington Post

IFE is proud to announce the launch of Discover China, an exciting initiative that offers journalists, policymakers, and businesspeople the opportunity to learn about China up-close and first-hand. Through this program, opinion leaders will be able to travel to China for a ten-day trip and establish direct links with the people, institutions, and culture of a fast-growing and dynamic nation.

An initiative like Discover China could not come at a more crucial juncture in Sino-American relations. Writing in Foreign Affairs, Secretary Hillary Clinton affirmed that “Our [America’s] relationship with China will be the most important bilateral relationship in the world in this century.” Based on shared interests, a strong U.S.-China partnership is the cornerstone of any credible effort to address pressing global problems, from financial upheaval to climate change.

Reflecting IFE’s broader goals, Discover China’s mission is to strengthen the U.S.-China partnership through exchanges that build mutual understanding and trust at every level of discourse. Engaging opinion leaders—individuals whose expertise and institutional access make their views highly influential—is critical because their work has a significant impact on policy discussions and decision-making related to China.

Through Discover China, leading voices in the American political and business communities will have the opportunity to see what China is like today. They will be able to participate in joint travel, activities, and excursions, but will also receive support from IFE for building their own itineraries and pursuing particular areas of interest during the trip.

Working closely with the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs and the China-U.S. Exchange Foundation, IFE is organizing Discover China’s second annual trip, scheduled to take place early this fall. Please contact Program Director Zaahira Wyne at ZaahiraW@instituteforeducation.org or (202) 887-0987 to inquire about Discover China and to receive more detailed information about the program.  View the 2010 Discover China itinerary here.  See pictures from the trip on Flickr and Facebook.

“IFE under Kathy Kemper’s leadership has a well-established track record in bringing people together in spirited fellowship, and now she’s expanded her reach across the globe with Discover China, a program to enhance understanding between our two cultures. I was pleased to be part of the inaugural group of U.S. journalists sponsored by IFE to travel to Beijing and Shanghai in the fall of 2010. Meetings were arranged with a variety of sources, including government officials, business people and academics, plus efforts were made to help each of us pursue our particular agendas, which ranged from climate change and foreign policy to education and tourism. It was an eye-opening experience that I wholeheartedly recommend to future participants.” Eleanor Clift, Newsweek and the McLaughlin Group

“IFE’s Discover China program provides a first-hand look at how one of the most important global players is reshaping the world’s economic and political landscape.” Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post

“Experiencing the new China with IFE was a truly eye-opening, at times jaw-dropping, experience. It changed my perspective and allowed for better context to our reporting on the fastest-growing, most dynamic economy in the world.” John H. Arundel, Washington Life magazine