WSCRC

Washington State China Relations Council

Puget Sound Business Journal Honors Two WSCRC Board Members

The Puget Sound Business Journal (PSBJ), the region’s premier business news publication, has recently honored two of WSCRC’s Board Members.

WSCRC’s Board Chairman, Marc Berger, was recently honored as one of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s Top 40 under 40. Started 22 years ago, this program identifies people under the age of 40 who are dynamic leaders in the business community.

In addition to his role as the Chairman of the Washington State China Relations Council, Marc is a Vice President and Partner at Nyhus Communications. Marc oversees approximately 50% of the company’s overall revenue and works on strategic development. Prior to his move to Seattle in 2013, Marc worked for the National Committee on U.S-China Relations.

The PSBJ revealed this week that WSCRC Board Member Dean Jones of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty was named to its list of the 100 most powerful, influential businesspeople in Washington in 2020.

Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty is a Seattle‐based real estate consultancy and brokerage specializing in market research, product development, marketing and sales solutions for new construction, multi‐family, and resale properties of all categories. As CEO, Dean Jones leads the Pacific Northwest’s largest affiliate within the global real estate network.

We congratulate both of our board members on their awards.

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Washington State China Relations Fund Announces Fundraising Campaign

(SEATTLE – October 1, 2020) The Washington State China Relations Fund, the charitable arm of the Washington State China Relations Council, has announced its goal of raising $500,000 to support educational programs that promote stronger business, educational and cultural ties between Washington State and China, and within the local Chinese community.

Throughout its 41-year history, the Council has pursued its mission of building and strengthening connections between Washington state and China, offering a crucial platform and voice for a nuanced and informed  perspective on how to manage and improve bilateral relations, as well as building bridges for businesses and government agencies on both sides of the Pacific.

With the current tensions in the U.S.-China Relationship, the Council’s critical role is more pronounced than ever. The Council promotes an open and balanced dialogue regarding our relationship with China and works to maintain and strengthen ties with our counterparts in China at the sub-national level. Trade with China represents a large component of Washington’s economy and, barring a massive decoupling of the U.S. and Chinese economies, the importance of China to the state will only increase over time.

The Fund was created to ensure the viability of the programming formerly performed by the Council, and to facilitate a greater involvement in local China-focused efforts. The Fund produces webinars and programs that investigate issues that dominate, affect and are affected by the U.S.-China relationship.  The fund also performs charitable activities with a special focus on the Chinese community in Washington state. Recently, the Fund has helped raise funds to support businesses and individuals impacted by COVID-19, and has also imported personal protection equipment that was donated to the City of Seattle and the State of Washington to combat the virus.

Despite the importance of China to businesses and organizations in Washington state, the Council is experiencing financial challenges that threaten its long-term sustainability. Many local companies who had hoped to capitalize on Chinese investment in the state have scaled back their support. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted our members’ ability to support the organization. Therefore, the Council is initiating a campaign to raise $500,000 over the next 24 months. We depend on the support from American citizens, corporations and other organizations to ensure we are able to continue advancing our mission and serving a critical role in the community.

We thank you for your consideration of making a tax-deductible donation to the Washington State China Relations Fund.

Gifts may be made via PayPal, bank transfer or in-kind donations at https://www.wscrf.org/donate/.

To donate by check:

Make Check Payable to Washington State China Relations Fund

Address: 1301 5th Ave, Suite 1500

Seattle, WA 98101

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WSCRC’s Executive Director Comments on Senate China Bill

WSCRC’s Executive Director was recently quoted in the Spokane Spokesman Review (August 4) regarding the introduction of a new bill in the Senate written to create a clearer U.S. strategy towards China. The bill, introduced by Senator Jim Risch (R, Idaho), aims to counter China’s trade practices and military build-up, invest in U.S. competitiveness, and bolster alliances and international organizations. Executive Director Coquillard outlined the importance of the Washington State – China trading relationship as well as the value of the cultural exchanges between the two countries. He also stressed that he supports U.S. efforts to bolster alliance building in order to create a unified approach to counter some of China’s more egregious trading practices. A link to the article can be found here.

 

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We Will Go Through this Together: WSCRF Facilitated PPE Donation from Tsinghua University to the State of Washington

On June 12, 2020, a truckload of 200,000 masks arrived at the Washington state’s warehouse, after a three-week long journey from Beijing, China. These masks, donated by the Tsinghua University Education Foundation (TUEF), was the third PPE donation the Washington State China Relations Fund accepted on behalf of the city or the state to help fight Covid-19. The other two were mask donations from the City of Hangzhou and the City of Shenzhen to the City of Seattle.

We send our sincere thanks to Tsinghua GIX for coordinating with TUEF. The successful arrival of the masks would not have been possible without Expeditors International’s support. They provided pro-bono service to help us clear the customs duty-free.

The donated masks will be delivered to Eastern Washington to support farm workers and to help slow the outbreak.

Schuyler Hoss, Director of International Affairs and Protocol at the Governor’s Office, expressed the state’s appreciation to the TUEF and looked forward to continued collaboration between Washington state and Tsinghua University. He also commended the Washington State China Relations Council and Tsinghua GIX for their facilitation of this donation, and for their efforts to foster stronger ties between Washington state and China.

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WSCRC in the Media

WSCRC has recently been featured in several news articles and podcasts.

WSCRC’s success in importing PPEs from China was featured in an article in the Christian Science Monitor on May 18. This article also explained the “Food with Love” program which was started by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Washington State. WSCRC began to cooperate with this program in early May and has helped to increase the funds raised to support this effort.

WSCRC’s Executive Director, Nor Coquillard, was recently interviewed for the program “In China with Michelle Zou” to talk about “Maintaining Business Relations with China During Difficult Times”. Mr. Coquillard explained the Council’s efforts to maintain good relationships with his counterparts in China at the sub-national level. He also shared his advice for companies that work in China or are interested in the China market. The interview is available here. 

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Washington State China Relations Council

1301 5th Avenue, Suite 1500 Seattle, WA 98101-2611

Tel: (206) 441 - 4419

E-mail: info@wscrc.org

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