40 Ambassadors and Diplomats Attend CCG Open Day

As spring finally arrives in the city, on March 23, the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) hosted its very first open day in 2021 at our newly expanded Beijing headquarters. Around 100 distinguished guests, including 40 ambassadors and diplomats, government officials, policy advisors, heads of international organizations and groups, senior business executives, media representatives, and members of the CCG advisory council attended this event. The event featured two acclaimed cultural programs, “Ancient Tang Poems from iSing” and “Searching for Kung Fu”which seek to fuse Chinese and Western heritage, promoting appreciation of Chinese culture and cross-cultural exchange in unique ways.

Wang Huiyao, president of CCG, welcomed all the guests and said that here at CCG, we hope to build a bridge between China and the West, enhance understanding and resolve differences. As we open our newly renovated multifunctional conference area, CCG hopes to facilitate more open dialogue and exchange, as well as to host more offline events and promote international collaboration. Further, Wang introduced “Searching for Kung Fu” and “Ancient Tang Poems from iSing”, stating that both programs show dedication to advance understanding of traditional Chinese culture and multiculturalism.

Source from iSING! International Young Artists Festival

Subsequently, “Ancient Tang poems from iSING!” and “Searching for Kung Fu” were shown and the directors of both programs shared their insights and exchanged ideas with the guests.

The one-of-a-kind “Ancient Tang poems from iSING!” is China’s first international vocal arts festival, founded and directed by Tian Haojiang, member of the Committee of 100 and an internationally renowned opera singer for the Metropolitan Opera. The original concept of iSING! is that classic Chinese verses are performed by international young singers in the form of Western opera.

iSING! is a gift to the music community around the world and a distinctive means to raise awareness of Chinese culture. Since its founding in 2011 by Asian Performing Arts Council, iSING! has been presented in the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and China’s National Center for Performing Arts and has taught over 300 Western singers Mandarin as a “lyrical language”. Musicians from different countries composed music to go with selected classic Tang poems, including “a Tranquil Night” and “Snowing on the River”. The fusion of Chinese and Western culture is the biggest highlight of this performance, with the timeless beauty of Tang poetry invigorated by contemporary music.

“Searching for Kung Fu” is a documentary film written and directed by Laurence Brahm, CCG senior fellow. It revolves around Brahm’s expedition to seek out great Kung Fu masters in the hidden corners of China.

“China-USA relationship needs a new Ping-Pong Diplomacy to thaw the current Cold War atmosphere. Kung Fu Diplomacy can break this ice. Exchange of sports and culture can better understanding among people. Kung Fu can be the focus of such exchanges.” Brahm said.

Through the lens of an experienced Kung Fu fan, this documentary explores the origin and development of Kung Fu, the essence of martial arts and the revelation of Chinese philosophy. Along the way, Brahm discovers the core of Kung Fu, which is “the middle way” in spirit, where respect, loyalty, balance and trust are included and non-violence, wisdom and emptiness are integrated together.

After screening, Miao Lu, CCG secretary-general made remarks on the two programs and invited guests to interact with the two artists behind them and exchange thoughts on cross-cultural and multicultural understanding and exchange between China and the world. Thereafter, a wine reception was held in CCG’s conference area.

Attendees of the Open Day included DU Zhanyuan, President of China International Publishing Group, Ahcene Boukhelfa, Ambassador of Algeria, Alenka Suhadolnik, Ambassador of Slovenia, Dario Mihelin, Ambassador of Croatia, Dusan Bella, Ambassador of Slovakia, Irit Ben Abba, Ambassador of Israel, Isabel Domingos, Ambassador of Sao Tome and Principe, John Aquilina, Ambassador of Malta, José Augusto Duarte, Ambassador of Portugal, Luis Diego Monsalve, Ambassador of Colombia，Martin Mpana, Ambassador of Cameroon，Paulo Mesquita, Ambassador of Brazil, Rafael Dezcallar, Ambassador of Spain, Rahamtalla Osman, Permanent Representative of the AU，Sarah Serem, Ambassador of Kenya，Tania Romualdo, Ambassador of Cape Verde，Emanuele de Maigret, Deputy Head of Mission of Embassy of Italy，Celso de Tarso Pereira, Minister Counselor and Deputy Head of Mission of Embassy of Brazil，SHIMIZU Fumio, Minster, Embassy of Japan, Bettina Malone, Minister Counselor for Public Affairs, US Embassy, Eva Valle Lagares, Head of our Trade Section, Delegation of the European Union to China，YU Yunquan, Director of Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, JIANG Yonggang, Director of International Cooperation Department of China International Publishing Group，SHEN Xin, Director-General of Department of European and American Affairs, Chinese People’s Association of Friendship with Foreign Countries, LI Xin, Deputy Director-General of State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA), DONG Minchuan, Deputy Director of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign affairs, LIU Lujun, Deputy Secretary-General of China NGO Network for International Exchanges, WANG Limin, President of Social Science Academic Press (China), DENG Yonghong, President of Annual Report Publication Centre at SSAP，HUO Jianguo, former President of MOFCOM Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, JIANG Shan, former Director-General of MOFCOM Department of American and Oceanic Affairs，LV Kejian, former Director-General of MOFCOM Department of Asian Affairs, SU Ge, CCG Advisor, former President of China Institute of International Studies，ZHOU Xiaoming, former Deputy Resident Representative of the Chinese Delegation to the United Nations in Geneva，ZHANG Yichen, Chairman and CEO of CITIC Capital, WANG Guangfa, Chairman of the Board and President of Beijing Fazheng Group，SHI Yang, Founder, Zhejiang HongHui Asset Management，Counsellors and Representatives from Embassy of European Union, Embassy of Slovakia, Embassy of Australia, Embassy of Azerbaijan, Embassy of Korea, Embassy of Singapore, Embassy of Portugal, Embassy of Egypt, Embassy of Kenya, Embassy of Germany and Embassy of New Zealand，Giuseppe Crocetti, IOM China Chief of Mission，Graziella Leite Piccoli, Deputy Head of ICRC Regional Delegation for East Asia，Robert Parua, Programme Specialist for Education, UNESCO，Gloria Xu, Vice Chair of AmCham China, Nick Coyle, CEO and Executive Director, AustCham China，Martin Muller, Chairman of the Board, Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce in China，Tim Stratford, Managing Director of Covington & Burling LLP Beijing, former Assistant USTR，ZHAO Bin, Senior Vice President, Qualcomm，LENG Yan, Executive Vice President, External Affairs & Public Policy, Daimler AG China, WANG Yanping, General Manager, China Public Affairs, LinkedIn，Tom (Tao) Hsu, Vice President of VIA Group，Joe Zhou, President DSM China，Roberta Lipson, Founder and CEO, United Family Hospital，WANG Jing, Vice President, IBM Greater China，Elizabeth Pei, Director of Government Affairs of The Walt Disney Company (China), Alexander Kallweit, Resident Representative, Friedrich Ebert Foundation China，Jerry Yu, Chief Representative of China Office & Managing Director, Paulson Institute，Tony Zhao, Director for Asia Operations, the State Legislative Leaders Foundation，Rebecca DING, Founder and CEO of WeBranding, ZHAI Shanying, Chairman, Peogoo Business Group, YANG Rui, CCG Non-resident Senior Fellow, Tatiana Prazeres, Senior Fellow, University of International Business and Economics，Andy Mok, CGTN Commentator on Business and Technology and representatives from CBS, South China Morning Post, Das Erste, MNI, CGTN and the Nikkei.

Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, CCG has taken a lead in generating innovative ideas in hosting discussions and collaborations in the global think tank community, hosting a series of webinars that were broadcast to the globe. A number of international events, including the 7th China Inbound-Outbound Forum, the 6th China and Globalization Forum, the 5th China Global Think Tank Innovation Forum, CCG Ambassadors Roundtable, that were attended by top diplomats and government officials, renowned policy advisors, representatives of international organizations and groups, senior business executives, were also held in 2020. These events have given a full play to the role of generating new ideas and facilitating international partnerships and collaboration for a common good as a non-governmental think tank.

The addition of CCG’s new conference area in 2021 aims to provide space for more forums and exchanges and to further establish a platform for interactions between industry, government and academia. We hope to broaden the audience for our voices and messages via advanced multi-media facilities.

As one of the world’s top 100 non-governmental think tanks, CCG actively engages in China’s globalization from an international perspective and contributes to policies relating to development and global governance in many countries. CCG has developed into a think tank that provides new ideas, innovation and perspectives for exchange between industry, government and academia. The open day event of March 23rd marked the beginning of the series of activities and forums in 2021. CCG is excited to present more events featuring a wide range of topics to continue to play a role of bridging understanding and differences between China and the world as a global think tank.