Contact:
Amanda Roshan-Rawaan, 404-413-2530
Office of International Initiatives
ATLANTA—On June 14, several major business organizations in the metro Atlanta business community, led by the Confucius Institute at GSU and Georgia China Alliance, joined forces to host a major international event—the China’s Global Outlook Conference. Hosted at the Carter Center, this conference had as its main theme the exploration of the strategies, challenges, and opportunities facing Chinese companies expanding into the U.S. market. The conference attracted more than 150 participants from local Atlanta companies as well as several major Chinese businesses in the U.S., such as telecommunication giants Huawei and ZTE, Atlanta-based TV manufacturer Hisense and heavy construction equipment manufacturer Sany.
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| Attendees of the China's Global Outlook Conference at the Carter Center. |
The China’s Global Outlook Conference boasted of an impressive list of high-profile speakers that included top executives from U.S.-based Chinese companies as well as representatives from both local and national business entities, such as Daniel Rosen, a partner at Rhodium Group, a recognized expert on China and former Senior Advisor for International Economic Policy at the White House National Economic Council and National Security Council; Hans Gant, Senior Executive Vice President of Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; John Hardman, President and CEO of Carter Center; Jorge Fernandez, Vice President for Global Commerce at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Also present at the conference were representatives from both the Chinese and U.S. government entities: Acting Consul General from the Chinese Consulate General in Houston Yunliang Xie and Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall.
GSU was well represented at the event by Associate Provost for International Initiatives Jun Liu, Dean of Robinson College of Business Fenwick Huss, professor of International Business and Director of China Research Center Penelope Prime and Director of the Confucius Institute Baotong Gu. In his welcome remarks delivered on behalf of GSU President Mark Becker and Provost Risa Palm, Liu discussed GSU’s strategic mission to be a globally oriented university as well as the Confucius Institute’s mission to promote business exchanges between the U.S. and China in addition to promoting the Chinese language and culture. In his closing remarks, Gu echoed Liu’s points and further emphasized the Confucius Institute’s mission and role in “bringing China to Americans and Americans to China.”
This conference, held at Carter Center, served as a fitting tribute to the 30 years of the normalization of U.S.-China relations initiated by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter with the then leader of China Deng Xiaoping. With increasing business relations between the two countries, this conference was a timely event both to commemorate President Carter’s pioneering efforts 30 years ago and to accentuate and further the bustling business relations between the two countries.
Joining forces with Georgia China Alliance, the Department of Economic Development of Georgia, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and the ICA Institute, the Confucius Institute at GSU was the title sponsor and co-organizer of the event. According to Gu, this conference represented part of the Confucius Institute’s strategic initiative to become a major player within the Atlanta business community in promoting business relations between the U.S. and China. In addition to being involved in organizing such events, the Confucius Institute is also poised to offer courses and customized training programs in business Chinese and Chinese business culture to the metro Atlanta business community interested in developing business relations with China.
June 25, 2012