Business, political leaders to discuss China’s role as a rising economic superpower

To enhance friendship and economic cooperation between the United States and China, Arizona State University’s Confucius Institute will host a symposium, titled “Working with China in the Global Market” from 3 to 5 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 22.

Now in its fifth year, the forum is part of the Chinese mid-autumn harvest Moon Festival and National Day celebrations that take place every year at the ASU Memorial Union on the Tempe campus.

According to Madeline K. Spring, director of the Confucius Institute, the event has featured speakers from business, academic and government agencies in the past, and provides students, academics, and business and community leaders the opportunity to keep up with the current business trends related to China in the global economic realm.

“The growth of the symposium since its inception signals a growth in awareness regarding China’s increasing influence over the global financial markets,” Spring says. “The speakers share insights about their own experiences and about the complexities of developing and maintaining professional interactions with China in the 21st century.”

Fannie Tam, assistant director of the institute, says more than 200 attendees participate in the event every year.

“Foreign direct investment in China has seen a phenomenal increase during the last couple of years,” Tam says. “Through the forum, our Confucius Institute hopes to provide business and community leaders an insight into China’s diverse marketplace in the context of the Chinese culture and language.”

This year, the forum will feature three speakers; namely, Chuck Gray, district director of Rep. Matt Salmon's congressional office, “China: Strategic Partner or Economic Competitor?”; Briand Greer, president of Honeywell Aerospace Asia Pacific, “Commercial Aviation in China: A Close-Up View”; and Steven Tu, chief architect of mobile product line at Intel Corporation, “Intel’s Next Pivot Point: Mobile in China.”

Gray will represent Salmon, who has visited China on more than 30 occasions and is the chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. In his talk, Gray will discuss the need to improve U.S.-China relationship and push for trade policies to strengthen American economy and increase the number of jobs.

According to Intel’s Tu, a W. P. Carey School of Business alum, China is the great story that has fueled Intel’s growth in the past decade and continues to do so.

“As Internet growth continues, the mobile industry is building its aggressive momentum around the world, and it is especially evident in China,” Tu says. “This momentum is impelling a computing paradigm shift from PC to mobile. My presentation will reveal the mobile growth trend in China, Intel’s product development and manufacturing shift into mobile, the effect of China’s ecosystem to a new computing paradigm, and comments about why mobile is important to Intel in China.”   

Representatives of the Consulate General of People’s Republic of China in Los Angeles, government dignitaries and community leaders will join in the celebration hosted by United Chinese Alumni Associations, Confucius Institute and the School of International Letters and Cultures. 

In addition to the China Forum, the roster of events includes a poster design competition for children in grades K-8 and a photography contest open to middle to college students. Participation is free and open to all Arizona students.

A reception for guests will take place from 5-7 p.m., inside the Memorial Union’s Arizona Ballroom.

For more information on contest registration, directions and parking, visit http://confuciusinstitute.asu.edu/portal/chinaforum2013.