The Washington State China Relations Council, the oldest state level organization devoted to improving ties with China, held its annual gala, virtually, on February 2^nd.  The highlight of the evening was a conversation between former Ambassador to China Gary Locke and the former Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd.  These two experts expressed their ideas about how the U.S. and China can cooperate as well as compete in the future. The robust discussion was followed by an audience question and answer session.

The Council was pleased to welcome Congressman Rick Larsen, (D WA 02) who addressed the more than 200 people at the virtual event. Representative Larsen shared his ideas about steps the U.S. must take to what the United States must do to manage its increasingly fraught relationship with China.

After the Council’s Executive Director Nor Coquillard reviewed the organization’s 2020 activities and 2021 plans, the Director of the Council Man Wang introduced the audience to the Council’s sister, charitable organization the Washington State China Relations Fund.  Keeping with a Gala tradition, the Council awarded its 2021 Sidney Rittenberg Award for leadership in the advancement of Washington-China relations to former Council and long-time board member Gregg Rodgers.

(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