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On February 19th, 2019, China General Chamber of Commerce – Washington D.C. (CGCC-D.C.) held its annual Chinese New Year Gala, celebrating the new year and the Chinese Lantern Festival.
The gala was attended by CGCC-D.C. members, representatives from the Chinese Embassy, U.S. federal and state governments, think tanks and non-profit organizations with interests in China-U.S. relations. The participants looked back to CGCC-D.C.’s fantastic growth in 2018 and previewed the exciting opportunities in 2019.
CGCC-D.C. Acting Chairman, China Telecom (Americas) Corporation President, Mr. TAN Xu; veteran Foreign Services officer, former Deputy Chief of Mission and Acting Ambassador at the US Embassy to China, Mr. Dave RANK; and former US senator from the State of Illinois, Mr. Mark KIRK; gave exciting remarks at the gala.
In his opening remarks, Acting Chairman Tan Xu introduced CGCC to the audience, highlighting its reputation as the largest and most influential non-profit organization representing Chinese enterprises in the U.S. He reviewed the major accomplishments and contributions by CGCC-D.C. in 2018, with an emphasis on the importance of support from members and partners. He gave special thanks to the sponsors of this year’s gala, China Telecom (Americas) Corporation, Greencourt Capital, Tasly Pharmaceuticals and Air China.
In the subsequent speeches by Mr. Rank and Senator Kirk, they expressed confidence and optimism about the long-term future of China-US relations, despite the frictions that currently exist.
The 2019 CGCC-D.C. Chinese New Year Gala was held at the Dockmaster Building, in the newly renovated multi-functional DC neighborhood, the District Wharf. The beautiful and elegant venue is hugged by the Potomac River on three sides. Since the gala coincided with the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival, it is a perfect illustration of the Chinese proverb, which says “the house near the water first receives the moon”. It is a metaphor for the importance of an advantageous location or platform. The choice of venue symbolizes CGCC-D.C.’s continuing commitment to provide members and partners with the best platform to grow business, connect with communities, and promote China-U.S. cooperation.
