Vice Minister Chen Xi Meets President Mote of the University of Maryland

Vice Minister Chen Xi met Prof. C. D. Mote, President of the University of Maryland on the 8th of June, 2009.

Vice Minister Chen greeted the guests on behalf of Minister Zhou Ji. He spoke highly on the achievements of the university in its collaboration with its Chinese counterparts, especially the establishment of the first Confucius Institute across the United States. Chen also expressed his appreciation to President Mote for his personal efforts in the promotion of mutual understanding and friendship between the education sectors of the two nations.

President Mote briefed Vice Minister Chen of the programs University of Maryland has been carrying out with Chinese academic institutions and local authorities. He also put forward his proposals on further cooperation.

Both sides also exchanged views on how to further enhance China-U.S. people to people exchanges and cultural collaborations.

  Vice Minister Hao Ping Meets Julia Chang Bloch

  Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong gives speech at Yale

NEW YORK, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong gave a speech at the prestigious Yale University on Wednesday, calling for the strengthening of bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the field of humanities.

  Liu said that to build positive and comprehensive Sino-U.S. relations in the 21st century, the two countries need to deepen and expand exchanges and cooperation in humanities.

    "Humanities exchange is a bridge of friendship, understanding and trust between nations and peoples, which comprises an important part of Sino-U.S. relations along with economic and trade cooperation," she said.

    Strengthening humanities exchanges, promoting consensus and understanding will help different cultures to learn from each other and develop, and earn benefits for the countries and peoples, Liu said.

    She said China and the U.S. should attach great importance to and enhance exchanges and cooperation in humanities from a strategic and long-term perspective, explore new ways, and enrich new content into the field.

    Liu offered China's willingness to promote dialogue and exchanges with the U.S., enhance mutual trust and cooperation, and jointly push the bilateral relations to further development in the new era.

  State Councilor Liu Yandong solicits overseas advice on China's education reform

SAN FRANCISCO, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China values learning and has started to develop national plans for long-term education reform, a Chinese state councilor says.

    State Councilor Liu Yandong told a symposium attended by 15 Chinese scholars from throughout the United States that the plan, which will cover this year through 2020, will emphasize identifying the goals of education and deepening reforms and development.

    The medium- to long-term plan, Liu said at the symposium Monday, will also promote education equality and quality, improve China's education system and provide stronger support for learning.

   Liu said that one major aim of her 10-day visit to the United States was to seek advice and opinions on education reform and development from overseas Chinese and various American experts.

    Liu said she also came to observe and study the current state of education, science and technology development in the United States.

    The scholars offered advice on China's education reforms, the nurturing of qualified teachers and other related topics.

    They pledged to use their specialized knowledge to contribute to the drafting of China's education reform and development plan and the cause of China-U.S. friendship.

  Chinese State Councilor meets with Clinton on relations

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met here Tuesday to discuss relations between their two countries, including bilateral exchanges and cooperation in humanities.

During the meeting, Liu expressed satisfaction with the momentum of growth in China-U.S. relations since the Obama administration took office.

    The consensus reached between the heads of state of the two countries on the future growth of their bilateral relationship has provided important opportunities for the two sides to further exchanges and cooperation in all fields, she said.

    Bilateral exchanges and cooperation in humanities, Liu said, could be of great importance in enhancing mutual trust, deepening understanding and friendship between the two peoples, and sustaining the momentum of growth of China-U.S. relations.

The Chinese state councilor put forward a five-point proposal designed to deepen China-U.S. exchanges and cooperation in humanities in a new phase.

    First, both sides should expand exchanges and cooperation in humanities in line with the principles of mutual respect, seeking common ground while maintaining differences, learning from each other, and making common progress.

    Second, exchanges and cooperation in humanities should become an important part of the efforts to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive China-U.S. relationship for the 21st century. Both sides should work out related programs from a long-term and strategic perspective.

    Third, related departments of the two governments should maintain close exchanges and increase consultations through various mechanisms.

    Fourth, both sides should promote people-to-people contacts and deepen effective cooperation.

    And fifth, both parties should increase exchanges between the young people to consolidate the basis for future growth of China-U.S. relationship.

    Liu said that the two sides should give priorities to education and science and technology in their exchanges and cooperation in the field of humanities.

    The two countries also should learn from each other in education and take concrete actions to promote cooperation in such areas as basic scientific research, clean energy, power-saving and pollution reduction, she said.

    Clinton expressed her support for Liu's proposal, saying that the U.S. side will actively implement the consensus reached between the two heads of state during the G20 London Summit and further increase exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese side in the fields of humanities such as education, culture, science and technology.

    The secretary of state said that U.S.-China relations have witnessed fast growth and China has gained great achievements in the past three decades since the two countries established diplomatic ties.

    The relationship between the United States and China is cooperative, not competitive, both countries share extensive common interests and should strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, Clinton said.

    State Councilor Liu arrived in Washington from New York on Monday evening. During her stay in New York, Liu attended a ceremony to inaugurate a Confucius institute at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

  Chinese State Councilor meets students from Sichuan

  Cornell University returns fungi collection to China

    At a repatriation ceremony, Cornell President David Skorton presented visiting Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong with one of the rare mushrooms.

    Liu was grateful for the return, saying that it embodies the American people's deep friendship toward the Chinese people.

It will surely play an active role in expanding exchanges and cooperation between the United States and China in education, science and technology and other fields, as well as in promoting the development of Sino-U.S. relations, Liu said.

    Some 1,700 specimens will be delivered to China in the fall, including 57 considered irreplaceable.

    More than 70 years after their discovery, "examples of this kind almost do not exist in China, which makes this collection invaluable for the study of the variety, distribution and evolution of Chinese fungi," said Liu.

    "On behalf of the Chinese government, I would like to say a big thank you to Cornell University."