Pictured above from left to right: Mayor Roberson, Mayor Hovland, Mayor Parks-Shaw,
President of Illinois Institute of Technology, Raj Echambadi,
former Governor of Iowa and Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad,
and USHCA Executive Director, Min Fan
On Monday, November 20th, 2023, close to 800 attendees from both the U.S. and China attended the China General Chamber of Commerce U.S.A. – Chicago (CGCC-Chicago)’s 7th Annual Gala, to explore business and investment opportunities in the Heartland Region. The gala, themed “Let’s Move Forward,” was co-organized by CGCC-Chicago, World Business Chicago, and USHCA.
USHCAÂ co-organized the panel “Insights and Foresight: A 2024 Perspective,” which brought five state, local, and academic leaders to share their perspectives on opportunities to engage with China in the future. Panelists included former Governor of Iowa and Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, the President of Illinois Institute of Technology, Raj Echambadi, Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, Ryana Parks-Shaw, Mayor of Edina, Minnesota, Jim Hovland, and Mayor of Elkhart, Indiana, Rod Roberson. Each panelist weighed in on the importance of people-to-people exchanges with regard to diplomatic, educational, and community levels.
That evening, Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, met briefly with the Heartland mayors and USHCA leaders, thanking them for their attendance and encouraging them to continue their important bilateral work.
Pictured above from left to right: USHCA Board Member, Steve Grand,
Mayor Parks-Shaw, Mayor Roberson, Ambassador Xie Feng, Mayor Hovland,
USHCA Board Member, Mike Froy, and USHCA Executive Director, Min Fan