On Friday, August 9th, CAS Associate Director Timothy Weston left for China to serve as a scholar-escort for a delegation of Communication Directors for members of the U.S. Congress. This delegation, hosted in China by the National People’s Congress, has been jointly arranged by the National Committee on United States – China Relations and by the Chinese National People’s Congress.
While in China, the delegation will engage in numerous meetings including those with Madame Fu Ying, the chairwoman of the NPC’s Foreign Affairs Committee; a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Rui Chenggang, the Director and Anchor for China Central Television (CCTV); a representative from Huawei Technologies Co.; and Ma Jun, the Director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs. Additionally, the delegation will travel to Shaanxi to attend meetings in Xi’an, experience “red tourism” in Yan’an, and visit Yulin, in the center of coal country, to attend meetings about coal production and environmental matters.
Due to his being a National Committee on U.S. – China Relations “Public Intellectuals Fellow” a few years ago, Professor Weston has been invited to be the scholar-escort for this delegation. His responsibility will be to speak with the delegation members about modern Chinese history and about contemporary China.