This April, the US-China Strong Foundation announced a new partnership with WeChat, a mobile instant messaging app, to expand engagement between American and Chinese citizens. Through the partnership, US-China Strong has an exclusive WeChat Official Account that will provide resources to Americans learning Chinese language and culture, and encourage greater interaction between American and Chinese users. The cooperation with WeChat will help further US-China Strong’s mission to strengthen relations between the two countries through education and personal connections.
The US-China Strong WeChat Official Account features language learning tools, games, scholarship information and other resources that will help American students connect with Chinese classmates and friends. With nearly 900 million active monthly users, WeChat is a leading social communication service. Eugene Huang, the acting CEO of US-China Strong, expressed the value of the partnership in enhancing US-China relations.
“While the bilateral relationship impacts a range of critical global issues – security, trade and the economy, climate change and more – its foundation ultimately rests on people-to-people ties,” Huang stated in a press release. “We’re thrilled to work with WeChat and look forward to seeing more young Americans on our WeChat Official Account as they interact with their Chinese peers to gain a better understanding of the Chinese culture, language, business and history.”
US-China Strong and WeChat announced their cooperation at the “Bridging the Cultural Gap” conference at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. The conference focused on US-China relations and featured panel discussions and speakers from business, academia and non-profit sectors.
Robert Roche 