(Washington, D.C. October 4, 2017) — The Committee of 100 (C100), an organization of leading Chinese Americans, is pleased to announce the launch of a “C100 U.S.-China Fulbright Fund”. The new US$1 million fund is initiated by C100 members and will operate under the government’s binational Fulbright program to expand U.S.-China educational exchanges.
The C100 U.S.-China Fulbright Fund was announced last week in Washington, D.C. during a State Department public diplomacy event at George Washington University on the occasion of the U.S.-China Social and Cultural Dialogue, hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Madame Vice Premier Liu Yandong as part of the U.S.-China Comprehensive Dialogue framework spearheaded by President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping.
The special event featured U.S. Cabinet Secretaries including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, and a high level delegation of Chinese leaders including China’s Vice Premier Liu Yandong, Minister of Education Chen Baosheng, Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang, Minister of Culture Luo Shugang, Minister of National Health and Family Planning Commission Li Bin, Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai, and others.
As the nation’s highest ranking Chinese American government official, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao opened the event speaking of her personal journey immigrating from China to the U.S. at the age of eight. She expounded on the unique and important role of Asian Americans in the United States. “They are part of a growing vibrant community that have contributed much to America,” said Secretary Chao.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos spoke about her own eye-opening experience in China as a study abroad student, and underscored the importance of educational exchanges such as that of the Fulbright Scholarship Program. “As a cornerstone of our relationship, Fulbright is a demonstration of our commitment to developing the next generation of leaders and scholars who will work to solve the shared global challenges we face.”
“We are grateful to the Committee of 100 [for their pledge of] $1 million to launch a C100 U.S.-China Fulbright Fund,” remarked Secretary DeVos, “I look forward to continuing to work together on these vital programs.”
C100 Chairman Frank H. Wu notes, “Committee of 100 is honored to partner and contribute to furthering our nation’s goals to advance exchanges with China under the Fulbright program. We are also grateful to Secretary Rex Tillerson, Secretary Elaine Chao, Secretary Betsy DeVos, Madame Premier Liu Yandong, and the impressive delegation from China for their leadership and participation in the U.S.-China Social and Cultural Dialogue.”
“As an organization dedicated to the betterment of U.S.-China relations,” Wu continues, “C100 views these exchanges as a critical backbone for long-term constructive engagement between the U.S. and China, not only expanding people-to-people ties and developing future generation bridge-builders, but also establishing a positive springboard for cooperative government-to-government dialogue to address the expanding plethora of strategic issues facing our two nations.”
The C100 U.S.-China Fulbright Fund is made possible by Committee of 100 members with decades of demonstrated commitment to educational excellence in both China and the United States. Distinguished Chinese American leaders who have seeded the $1 million fund include Kenneth Fong, C100 Board Member and Founder of Kenson Ventures, LLC; Ming Hsieh, C100 Board Member and President & Founder of Fulgent Therapeutics; Howard Li, C100 Board Member, C100 Greater China Co-Chair and Chairman of Waitex International Co., Ltd.; H. Roger Wang, C100 Board Member and Chairman of Golden Eagle International Group; and Walter Wang, longtime C100 member and President & CEO of JM Eagle. Representing Committee of 100 as official U.S. Delegates to the GWU diplomacy event were C100 Chairman Frank H. Wu, C100 D.C. Region Chairman Robert Gee, JM Eagle representative and UCLA Foundation Chair Shirley Wang, and C100 Executive Director Holly Chang.
About Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Scholarship Program is one of the most prestigious and important scholarships sponsored by the U.S. government. The U.S.-China Fulbright Scholarship Program, supported by both the U.S. and Chinese government, is the flagship international educational exchange program between the People’s Republic of China and the United States. The new C100 fund will enable a broad range of educational activities under Fulbright, expanding opportunities for meaningful engagement between the peoples of the United States and China. Learn more about U.S.-China Fulbright Program.
About Committee of 100
The Committee of 100 is a non-partisan leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, and the arts. Since its founding in 1990, the Committee has been committed to a dual mission of promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in all fields of American life, and encouraging constructive relations between the peoples of the United States and Greater China. Learn more about Committee of 100.
