2008 Annual U.S. Delegation
The Better Hong Kong Foundation has successfully held its annual delegation to the United States this year. Led by the Foundation’s Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang, this year’s members of the delegation included: – Mr. Daniel Fung, Vice-Chairman of the Salzburg Global Seminar, Board of Governors of the East-West Center, National Delegate of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Chairman of the Broadcasting Authority, Senior Counsel of the Hong Kong Bar, Solicitor-General of Hong Kong (1994 – 98);– Mr. James Thompson, GBS, the Founder and Chairman of the Crown Worldwide Group and former Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong for 2002 and 2003;– Ms. Winnie Ng, Foundation’s Council Member and Executive Director of the Kowloon Motor Bus Co. Ltd;– Dr. Gerald Chow, Foundation’s Council Member and Executive Director of Chow Sang Sang Holdings International Ltd; and – Mr. Joseph Yu, Foundation’s Council Member and Chairman of the Roseville Group of Companies.
This annual mission to U.S. took place during 15 to 21 June 2008, before the U.S. Presidential Election. Irrespective of whichever candidate succeeds in November, the policies of the incoming President Elect would herald material departures from the present incumbent. With that in mind, the Foundation visited New York and Washington D.C. and took the temperature of all the major players in both metropolises and exchanged views with them. The delegation visited the Executive Branch (U.S. State Department and U.S. Department of Commerce); the Legislative Branch (Congressmen and staffers including those of Senator Obama); think-tanks inside the Beltway (the Brookings Institution, Center for Strategic & International Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The CATO Institute, The Heritage Foundation, East-West Center, The U.S.-Asia Institute, etc); think-tanks in New York City (The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and the Asia Society); professional bodies (American Bar Association); financial institutions (Morgan Stanley); rating agencies (Standard & Poor’s) and media representatives.
During the mission, the delegation attended a dinner hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C. for the Chinese delegation of the Strategic Economic Dialogue led by the Vice Premier Wang Qishan. It also participated in public talks and luncheons hosted by the Hong Kong Association of New York, American Bar Association, the Fund for American Studies and the Asia Institute for Political Economy respectively, where Mr. Daniel Fung and Mr. James Thompson gave speeches. The delegation was also invited to luncheons and a dinner hosted by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China based in New York, the Chinese Embassy to the US, and the Permanent Mission of the PRC to the UN respectively.
Detailed Itinerary:
The Better Hong Kong Foundation Delegation to the United States
June 15-21, 2008
New York ~ Washington D.C.
June 16, 2008 (Monday) New YorkEvent: Meeting with US Asia Institute Chairman and Co-founder Attendee: Mr. Norman Lau Kee, Chairman Emeritus, US-Asia Institute;Mrs. Esther G. Kee, Co-founder, US-Asia InstituteVenue: The Premier HotelAddress: 133 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036 Website: http://www.usasiainstitute.org
Event: Meeting with Standard and Poor’s Attendees: Mr. David A. Wyss, Chief Economist & Managing Director, Standard & Poor’s Mr. Michael L. Privitera, Vice President, Public Affairs, Standard & Poor’s Mr. Jitendra Sharma, Executive Managing Director, Credit Risk services & Products, Standard & Poor’sMr. David Wargin, Communications Manager, Standard & Poor’sVenue: 55 Water Street, Conc12 New York Website: http://www.standardandpoors.com
Event: Lunch hosted by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China for the delegationAttendees: Mr. Peng Keyu, the Consul General, The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New York Mr. Kuang Weilin, Vice Consul, The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New YorkMr. Li Qingzhan, Vice Consul, The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New YorkVenue: 520 12th Avenue, New York NY 10036, USA Website: http://www.nyconsulate.prchina.org
Event: Tea gathering with Asia SocietyAttendee: Dr. Vishakha Desai, President, Asia SocietyMr. Thomas B. Moore, Senior Vice President- Operations, Asia SocietyMr. Todd Michael Galitz, Vice President, External Affairs, Asia SocietyMr. Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director, Center on U.S.-China Relations, Asia SocietyMs. Yoshie Ito, Senior Program Officer, U.S. Business Programs, Asia SocietyVenue: Asia Society – 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street – 5th FloorWebsite: http://www.asiasociety.org
Event: Meeting with National Committee on United States-China RelationsAttendee: Dr. Stephen A. Orlins, President, NCUSCRMs. Jan Carol Berris, Vice President, NCUSCR Venue: National Committee on U.S.-China Relations 71 West 23rd Street, Suite 1901, New YorkWebsite: http://www.ncuscr.org
June 17, 2008 (Tuesday) New York
Event: Meeting with Morgan StanleyAttendee: Mr. Richard Berner, Managing Director, Morgan StanleyMr. David Lew, Vice President, Private Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley Mrs. Esther G. Kee, Co-founder, US-Asia InstituteVenue: 1585 Broadway (47th Street entrance), Conference Room 38BWebsite: http://www.morganstanley.com
Event: Meeting with Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia UniversityAttendees: Prof. Madeleine Zelin, Dean Lung Professor of Chinese Studies, Director, East Asian National Resource CenterProf. Andrew J. Nathan, Class of 1919 Professor of Political ScienceProf. Robert Barnett, Professor of Contemporary Tibetan Studies, Director, Modern Tibetan Studies ProgramProf. Myron L. Cohen, Professor of Anthropology, Director, Weatherhead East Asian Institute Mr. James Seymour, Senior Research Scholar Ms. Waichi Ho, Associate Director, Weatherhead East Asian InstituteVenue: Conference Room IAB 918 The International Affairs Building, Room 918, the West Wing, Columbia University, 420 W. 118th Street (on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue). New York, NY 10027Website: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/weai/faculty.html
Event: Lunch hosted by the Permanent Mission of the PRC to the UN for the delegationAttendees: Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary Deputy Permanent Representative, the Permenant Mission of the PRC to the UNMr. Liu Yutong, Chief Press Officer, the Permanent Mission of the PRC to the UNMr. Pan Xiongwen, 3rd secretary, the Permanent Mission of the PRC to the UNVenue: 350 East 35th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenue, NY, NY 10016Website: http://www.china-un.org
Event: Dinner Talk hosted by the Hong Kong Association of New York Speaker: Mr Daniel Fung & Mr James ThompsonAttendees: HKANY & CUHKAA Members and guestsVenue: Chiam Restaurant, 160 E 48th St (between 3rd and Lexington Avenues), New York, NY 10017Website: http://www.hkany.org/mc/page.do
June 18, 2008 (Wednesday) New York/ Washington D.C. Event: Lunch and Briefing with Congressman and staffer, hosted by the U.S.-Asia Institute Attendees: Host: Mr. Benjamin Wu, President, U.S.-Asia Institute Mr. Charlie Wilson, Congressman, OhioMs. Jocelyn Hong, Principal, Twenty-First Century Group. Inc.Mr. Wayne Morrison, Specialist in International Trade and Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division, Congressional Research ServiceMr. Robert Jordan, Senior Advisor, U.S.-Asia InstituteMr. Kerry McKenney, Legislative Director for Congressman Donald Payne of New JerseyMs. Tamar Harrington, Program Intern, U.S.-Asia Institute Ms. Julie Chon, Senate Banking CommitteeMr. Jay Branegan, House Foreign Affairs Committee Professional Staff, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ms. Stephanie Gidigbi, Legislative Assistant for Congressman Donald PayneVenue: The Twenty-First Century Group Townhouse, 434 New Jersey Ave. S.E.Washington, D.C. Website: http://www.usasiainstitute.org
Event: Meeting with the Legistive Counsel for Senator Barack ObamaAttendee: Mr. Ian H. SOLOMON, Legislative Counsel, Senator Barack Obama, Illinois Venue: Office of Senator Barrack Obama, 713 Hart Senate Office Building
Event: Meeting with the U.S. Department of CommerceAttendees: Ms. Michelle O’Neill, Deputy Under Secretary, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of CommerceMr. Thomas R. Dycus, International Trade Specialist, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of CommerceMr. Aaron S. Brickman, Director, Invest in America International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of CommerceVenue:14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Room 3842, Washington, DC 20230Website: http://www.commerce.gov
Event: Dinner hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce in honor of PRC Vice Premier Wang Qishan, and the Strategic Economic Dialogue Chinese DelegationCo-host with the US-China Business Council and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.Attendees: His Excellency Wang Qishan, Vice Premier of the State Council of PRCMembers of the SED Chinese DelegationVenue: Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road, NW, Washington, D.C.Website: http://www.uschamber.com
June 19, 2008 (Thursday) Washington D.C.
Event: Meeting with the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, The Brookings InstitutionAttendees: Mr. Richard Bush, Director, CNAPSVenue: 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20036 Website: http://www.brookings.edu
Event: Meeting with the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsAttendees: Mr. Thomas J. Christensen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of East Asian & Pacific Affairs and his staff Venue: 2201 C Street, N.W. Room 6205Website: http://www.state.gov/p/eap/
Event: Lunch with media, the HK Journalism Fellowship alumniAttendee: Mr. Bing Li, Reporter, Sing Tao Newspapers New York Ltd.Ms. Diedtra Henderson, Communication & Public Affairs, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of AmericaMs. Sara Kehaulani Goo, Financial Day/Web Editor, The Washington Post Ms. Reena Advani , Associate Editor, Morning Edition, National Public Radio Venue: Penang Restaurant; 1837 M Street NW, Washington DC 20036
Event: Meeting with the Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceAttendees: Mr. Douglas H. Paal, Director and Senior Associate of the China Program Venue: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20036Website: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/
Event: Talk at the American Bar Association Speaker: Mr Daniel Fung; Remarks by Mr James ThompsonTopic: Hong Kong’s continued competitiveness and its relationship with ChinaAttendees: Mr. Aaron Schildhaus, Chair, Section of International Law, American Bar Association Mr. Michael E. Burke, Williams MullenProf. James V. Feinerman, Associate Dean, International & Graduate Programs, James M. Morita Professor of Asian Legal Studies, Geogetown University Law Center Mr. Peter D. Ehrenhaft, attorneyMs. Susan Roosevelt Weld, J.D., Ph. D., East Asian Legal StudiesMr. Maurice Loo, Deputy Director-General, Hong Kong Economic & Trade OfficeVenue: John Marshall Room, 9th floor, the ABA building 740 15th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20005-1019Website: http://www.abanet.org
June 20, 2008 (Friday) Washington D.C.Event: Meeting with the Center for Strategic and International StudiesAttendees: Mr. Charles W. Freeman III, Freeman Chair in China StudiesVenue: 1800 K Street, N.W. 5th Floor Washington, DC 20006Website: http://www.csis.org
Event: Meeting with East-West CenterAttendees: Mr. Charles E. Morrison, President, East-West Center Ambassador Raymond Burghardt, Director, East-West Seminars, East-West Center in HawaiiMr. Satu P. Limaye, Director, East-West Center in Washington Mr. Mark Borthwick, Director, United States Asia Pacific CouncilMr. Justin Liang, Projects & Outreach Manager, East-West Center in WashingtonMr. Aaron Siirila, Program Associate, East-West Center in WashingtonMs. Barbara P. Wanner, Senior Projects Coordinator, United States Asia Pacific Council, East-West Center in WashingtonVenue: 1819 L Street NW, Suite 200Website: www.EastWestCenter.org
Event: Luncheon Talk hosted by Asia Institute for Political Economy, The Fund for American StudiesSpeaker: Mr James Thompson & Mr Daniel Fung Attendee: Introductory remarks by Mr. Roger R. Ream, President, Asia Institute for Political Economy, The Fund for American Studies Mr. Edward J. Turner, Vice President, Development, The Fund for American StudiesOthersVenue: Asia Institute for Political Economy, The Fund for American Studies1706 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009Website: http://www.tfas.org
Event: Meeting with the Heritage FoundationAttendees: Mr. Walter Lohman, Director, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage FoundationMr. John J. Tkacik, JR, Senior Research Fellow, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage FoundationMr. Harvey J. Feldman, Distinguished Fellow, The Heritage FoundationMr. Nicholas Hamisevicz, Research Assistant, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage FoundationVenue: 214 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E. Washington DC Website: http://www.heritage.org
Event: Meeting with the CATO InstituteAttendees: Mr. James A. Dorn, Vice President for Academic AffairsVenue: 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington DC Website: http://www.cato.org
Event: Dinner hosted by the Embassy of PRC to the U.S. for the delegationAttendees: Mr. Xie Feng, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the PRC to the U.S. Mr. Zhangping, Minister Counselor (Congressional Affairs), Embassy of the PRC to the U.S.Mr. Li Liansheng, Counselor, Embassy of the PRC to the U.S.Mr. Shen Xin, , Embassy of the PRC to the U.S.Venue: Embassy of PRC to the U.S., 2300 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC Website: http://www.china-embassy.org
BIOGRAPHY
Mr. Daniel R. Fung, SBS, SC, QC, JPDaniel R. Fung, the first person of Chinese extraction to serve as Solicitor General of Hong Kong, doing so under respectively Governor Chris Patten and Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa straddling the territory’s reversion to Chinese sovereignty (1994-8), is Senior Counsel of the Hong Kong Bar specializing in constitutional and commercial litigation and the Chairman of Des Voeux Chambers, voted by Asia Law & Practice as Chambers of the Year for 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005, and an accredited China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) arbitrator. Mr Fung serves concurrently as Chairman of the Broadcasting Authority, an industry regulator of television and radio broadcasting in and out of Hong Kong serving as Asia’s media and communications hub.
Mr Fung is Co-Chairman of the United Nations Peace & Development Foundation (UNPDF), President of the International Law Association (ILA) Hong Kong Chapter, Honorary President of the International Association of Industry & Commerce (IAIC), Vice Chairman of the Salzburg Global Seminar (SGS), Vice-President of the Academy of Experts (TAE), Member of the Board of Governors of the East West Center (EWC), Council Member of International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), national delegate to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Chairman of the China Law Council (CLC), Council Member of China Law Society (CLS), Founding Governor of the China-US Exchange Foundation, Chairman of the International Advisory Board to the Government of Shanghai Xuhui District and member of the Strategic Development Commission of the Hong Kong Government.
Made a Fellow of his alma mater University College London in 2005 where he graduated LLB (1974) and LLM (1978) and a member of Middle Temple since 1974, the English Bar since 1975 and the Hong Kong Bar since 1977, Mr Fung was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1990 and Senior Counsel in 1997. Mr Fung served on the Basic Law Consultative Committee (1985-90) from its inception to promulgation as Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, as Deputy Judge of the High Court (1992-4) and on the Central Policy Unit of the Hong Kong Government (1993-4). Mr Fung was Visiting Scholar to Harvard Law School (1998-9), Senior Visiting Fellow to Yale Law School (1999), Distinguished Fulbright Scholar for Hong Kong to the United States (2000), Visiting Professor to Peking University Law School (2007- ) and to Sun Yat Sen University Law School in China (2004-7), member of the World Bank International Advisory Council on Law & Justice (1999-2005), special advisor to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on corporate governance in China (2001) and on rule of law capacity building in Cambodia and Laos (2000-2), non-executive director of the Hong Kong Securities & Futures Commission (1999–2004) and the Hong Kong Airport Authority (1999-2005). Among various publications, Mr Fung is the Joint General Editor of Arbitration in China (2004) and a contributing author to Democracy & the Rule of Law (2001) and The Confluence of Affluence: The Pearl River Delta Story (2005).
Mr. James E. Thompson, GBSJames E. Thompson, GBS is the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Crown Worldwide Group of Companies. Crown Worldwide is a logistics company performing various types of warehousing and transportation services throughout the world. The Crown Group is the largest privately owned company in the field of international removals with over 200 worldwide locations in 50 countries around the world. Crown is also a leader in the field of document management with over seventeen million cartons of business documents managed from its worldwide facilities.
Mr. Thompson graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He came to Asia shortly after completion of his university studies and has lived in Japan and Hong Kong ever since. He is a member of the International Advisory Board of the San Jose State University Business School.
The Crown Worldwide Group employs over 4,000 full time staff around the world as well as a large number of contracted personnel. The company has been awarded the prestigious Hong Kong Award for Services in Export Marketing, and received the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce Innovative Services Award twice. Crown has also received the DHL/South China Morning Post International Award as Hong Kong’s best international company.
Mr. Thompson serves as the Chairman of HKTDC Logistics Services Advisory Committee. He is currently a member of the Investment Promotion Ambassador Scheme, a Board Member of Ocean Park Corporation and a non-executive Director of the Board of the Wharf (Holdings) Ltd and a member of TDC HK-EU Business Cooperation Committee. He served as a Council member of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council from 2002 to 2004, a member of the Hong Kong Trade and Industry Advisory Board and a member of the ICAC Advisory Committee on Corruption. He also served two terms as the Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong for 2002 and 2003.
Additionally, Mr. Thompson serves as a member of the Hong Kong Forum and Vision 2047 which are organizations that actively discuss Hong Kong issues with visiting politicians, journalists and academics that visit Hong Kong. He is also a member of the Board of the Hong Kong-America Centre and has been a delegate representing Hong Kong on numerous Hong Kong Trade Development Council trade missions around the world.
Mr. Thompson also serves as Chairman or as a Board member of numerous charitable organizations. His particular interests are charities related to children, cancer and education. He is the member of the corporate fund raising committee of Changing Young Lives Foundation, a member of the Executive Committee of the Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care, is on the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army and a trustee of Outward Bound. He currently chairs the Annual “Hike for Hospice” Charity event.
Mr. Thompson was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star, Hong Kong’s second highest awards, by the Hong Kong Government in 2003.
Mr. Thompson is a U.S. citizen and a permanent resident of Hong Kong having lived here for 30 years. His wife, Sally is British. His two children Jennifer and James Jr. work for Crown New York and Crown Beijing respectively.
Miss Karen Tang Shuk-takMiss Karen Tang was appointed as the Executive Director of the Better Hong Kong Foundation on June 1, 2006. Prior to joining the Foundation, Miss Tang was the Director of Communications of the University of Hong Kong. She was responsible for managing the university’s external relations and internal communications, and reported to the institution’s Vice-Chancellor (equivalent to President in US university system).
Miss Tang has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from the University of Hong Kong. Upon completing her undergraduate studies, she joined the Basic Law Consultative Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Administration Officer responsible for the secretarial work of the Sub-group on Political Structure. After completing the consultation work, she joined the Ming Pao Group, a Hong Kong based media group. During her 7-year tenure with the Group, she was appointed to a number of posts, including the Personal Assistant to the Chairman, Administration and Personnel Manager, Business Development Manager, Deputy General Manager of Magazines Division, and General Manager of Yazhou Zhoukan (the Chinese Asiaweek).
Miss Tang continued to develop her career in the media and multimedia industries, and has served as Deputy General Manager of the Chinese Television Network, General Manager of the Hongkong Telecom IMS (Interactive Multimedia Services), Director of Multimedia Services and Director of E-commerce under the Hutchison Whampoa Group. She worked for the Tung Chee Hwa Election Office (the then Chief Executive of the HKSAR) in 2001 as the Director of Administration Division, responsible for the coordination of the election campaign.
Miss Tang is now Council Member of the Lingnan University, Member of the Committee on Performing Arts; Council Member of the Hong Kong Macau Research Centre of the Shanghai Academy of Social Science; and Invest Guangzhou International Advisor.
Miss Winnie Ng, BA, MBA (Chicago), MPA (Harvard)Ms Winnie Ng is Director of Transport International Holdings, KMB and Founder of RoadShow Holdings. She won Yazhou Zhoukan Young Chinese Entrepreneur Award in 2003, was named one of China’s 100 Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs and a Mason Fellow of Harvard University in 2006.
She has successfully revamped and rejuvenated KMB’s image and positioned KMB as a powerful out-of-home media sales tool by raising profiles of bus body, bus shelter, and in-bus advertising. Her introduction of champagne gold bus livery has reenergized the 75 year-old brand. She spearheaded listing of RoadShow (stock code: 0888), which business model has been adopted by many companies in HK, China and over the world.
She is also Director of Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre; Director of HK Cyberport; Executive Committee Member of HK Council of Social Service; Council Member of Better HK Foundation; Director of Habitat for Humanity China and Vice Chairman of Council of China’s Foreign Trade, China Council for Promotion of International Trade.
She holds an MBA from University of Chicago and an MPA from Harvard University.
Meeting with US Asia Institute Chairman and Co-founder Left to Right: Mr. Norman Lau Kee, Chairman Emeritus, US-Asia Institute; Dr. Gerald Chow, Council Member, The Better Hong Kong Foundation, Executive Director, Chow Sang Sang Holdings International Ltd; Ms. Karen Tang, Executive Director, The Better Hong Kong Foundation; Mr. James E. Thompson, The Founder and Chairman of the Crown Worldwide Group;Mrs. Esther G. Kee, Co-founder, US-Asia Institute.
The delegation met with Standard and Poor’s.
Ms. Karen Tang presented the Foundation’s souvenir to Mr. David A. Wyss (Chief Economist & Managing Director of Standard & Poor’s, forth from left).
2008.06.15 - 2008.06.21