Dear Friends,

Last week's U.S. presidential election has raised the question on what's next for the U.S. and China, and our shared future. The impacts for trade, security, climate, health, and education are too early to determine. But what's clear is the need for peace and tolerance, by working on differences and collaborating on solutions.

In this spirit, CUSEF and CCIEE will convene this Friday for the first bilateral gathering since the election, when we jointly open the 5th U.S.-China Hong Kong Forum. The timing is intentional and critical: rather than observing the events before us, we will co-create a forward-looking agenda before the inauguration on January 20th.

At CUSEF, it is our mission to champion and support the overall relationship. The Forum will gather American leaders from both sides of the political aisle, as well as key actors from China and those representing global stakeholders. Our speakers will be led by the current ambassadors from the U.S. and China: Nicholas Burns and Xie Feng. We will also hear from President Boris Tadić, Vice Minister Lu Kang, and Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, as well as international leaders in business and finance: Joseph Tsai, Jean Salata, John Zhao, Victor Fung, Ronnie Chan, and Stephen Roach.

We are deeply honored to welcome a serving head of government: Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader of Bangladesh and Nobel Peace Prize winner, will address the Forum. His moral statesmanship inspires us to follow his example. Representatives of three U.S. presidential families will also attend: Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush.

This is a chance to 'meet the moment'. For those who are not able to be with us, I would like to offer an opportunity to share your thoughts, concerns, and hopes for the bilateral relationship. Please do that by responding to this email, so we may share your ideas with our participants during the Forum itself.

Together, we will all play an active role in shaping a better future.

James Chau

President
China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF)