US-China relations – Robert Roche

Acorn International Welcomes New Director

Acorn International, Inc.’s board of directors proudly announced the appointment of the new Director of the Company, Ms. Jenny Hseau-Jean Wang.

Acorn International, Inc.’s board of directors proudly announced the appointment of the new Director of the Company, Ms. Jenny Hseau-Jean Wang. Ms. Wang was also appointed as chair of the Audit Committee and will serve on the Compensation Committee and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of Acorn.

“We are pleased to enhance our board with the addition of Ms. Wang, a proven business leader and finance professional at large multinational companies operating in Asia. Her experience in business and corporate governance best practices will be invaluable to Acorn as we move forward with our plans to rebuild our business,” said Acorn International’s Executive Chairman.

Ms. Wang has a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Taiwan Providence University, a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Houston and is a Certified Public Accountant in the United States.

Professionally, Ms. Wang adds over 30 years of experience in executive management, finance and business strategy for the Asia Pacific operations of several high-profile multinational organizations to the Acorn team. Ms. Wang has worked with companies such as Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Company, Motorola’s Asia and Arthur Andersen. She has held several positions with the aforementioned companies ranging from Vice President to Tax Manager.

APSA Scholars Experience Chinese Language and Culture in 2017 China Scholars Program

American Students participate in 2017 China Scholars Program with APSA.

Earlier this month, American students arrived in Beijing to begin the four week long 2017 China Scholars Program with Americans Promoting Study Abroad (APSA). The 2017 APSA China Scholars arrived at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications where they will stay throughout the program and be paired with university students acting as Chinese language mentors. Throughout the program, the APSA Scholars will be immersed in Chinese language and culture and will take part in a variety of educational, professional and recreational activities.

Americans Promoting Study abroad was founded in 2008 to address the growing need for Americans who are able to engage globally. The organization provides scholarships and for American high school students to study abroad, and gain the knowledge and experience necessary to engage globally in their educational and professional careers. The China Scholars program is APSA’s flagship program and provides students in grades 9-11 an opportunity to study abroad, develop a deep understanding of Chinese culture and gain experience and knowledge about their future career goals. APSA China Scholars take part in a month long immersive program in which they attend workshops, meet with career leaders in various fields, take part in service learning projects and explore sites within their city.

Within the first week of the 2017 program, APSA Scholars took part in a Tai Chi workshop, enjoyed traditional Chinese cuisine and attended their first company visit. During the company visit, Scholars learned about crowdfunding and worked in small groups with Chinese students to develop a business idea and pitch to potential investors.

APSA works with partners around the world to develop and deliver a meaningful study abroad experience to students, and build the tools students will need to become active participants in the global economy. Follow along with the 2017 China Scholars as they document their experiences and program highlights on the APSA Instagram account.

US-China Strong Partners With WeChat App to Support Cross-Cultural Connections

The US-China Strong announced their new partnership with mobile app WeChat to deepen engagement between American and Chinese Citizens.

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.

US-China Strong’s “1 Million Strong” Initiative is Working Towards 1 Million American Students Learning Mandarin by 2020

US-China Strong launches its 1 Million Strong initiative whose goal is to increase the current number of students studying Mandarin from approximately 200,000 to 1 million by 2020.

1 Million Strong, an initiative of US-China Strong, seeks to greatly expand the number of American students learning the Mandarin language in grades K-12. The initiative’s goal is to increase the current number of students studying Mandarin from approximately 200,000 to 1 million by the year 2020. With expanded language learning at the K-12 level, the 1 Million Strong is working to equip the next generation of leaders with a deep understanding of the Chinese language and critical world issues. The initiative was launched in 2015 when it was announced by President Barack Obama and Xi Jinping.

The campaign endorses Mandarin curriculum norms for grades K-12 as well as expanded teacher training to more than double the number of Mandarin language teachers in the US. It also promotes the adoption of technology platforms to increase accessibility of Mandarin language in all communities, especially those in underserved areas. US-China Strong is working with educational leaders and elected officials at the state and local level in order to implement these three pillars and achieve the goals of the 1 Million Strong Initiative.

1 Million Strong follows 100K Strong, a presidential initiative led by US-China Strong to send 100,000 American students to study abroad in China by 2014. The goal was surpassed and increasing study abroad opportunities for American students in China remains part of US-China Strong’s core mission.

The US-China Strong Foundation is a nonprofit organization that is working towards strengthening relations between the US and China. The organization invests in educational programs to grow the next generation of American leaders with the knowledge and skills to effectively engage with China, America’s most rapidly growing trade partner.