Tag: US-China Strong

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.

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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.