PRESS RELEASE
Sino-US Media Colloquium Calls for a “New Silk Road of Communication”
WASHINGTON D.C., Oct. 6 – The China Energy Fund Committee concluded its sixth Sino-US Colloquium today, bringing to a successful close two full days of presentations, dialogue, and exchange of views. Held at the National Press Club on October 5 and 6, the colloquium explored the role of media in cultivating a peaceful and cooperative relationship between China and the United States. Topics discussed on the second day of the conference included the media’s role in public governance, cross-cultural dialogue, international relations, and the development of national identity.
Media experts and scholars from renowned Chinese and United States media organizations and universities continued their attendance for the second day of the event. Among the attendees from China were China Radio International, Shanghai Media Group, Phoenix Satellite Television, Global Times, CCTV, People's Daily Online, and SINA Corporation. New World Radio Group, Foreign Policy, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University were all present to offer a U.S. perspective at the event.
At the close of the conference, Dr. Patrick Ho, Deputy Chairman and Secretary General of the CEFC, expressed his belief that media dialogue is indispensable in both mitigating and resolving conflicts. He stressed, however, that dialogue is only meaningful when both sides do more than state their respective positions. “To achieve true understanding,” said Dr. Ho, “each country must listen to the other’s experiences, so as to cultivate a deep understanding of the other’s history and difficulties.”
Looking forward, Dr. Ho urged media organizations of the two countries to collaborate in developing a “Silk Road of the 21st Century.” According to Dr. Ho, this “modern Silk Road” will not be a physical path that “travels by sea or on land [and] goes only from one place to another.” Instead, it will be a “network of media which upholds social responsibilities while promoting true, accurate, comprehensive, and objective communication among nations and peoples.”
As background to the concept, Dr. Ho discussed the history of China’s relationship with the outside world. “Looking back in history, the Chinese have built two silk roads to the West. 2,000 years ago, in the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian established the first Silk Road over land, and set out on it offering trade and peace. In the 15th Century, China developed a second Silk Road, this time at sea. Its champion was Zheng He, who used it to bring trade and peace to far off shores.” The two Silk Roads were representative of “the two main periods during which China reached out to the world, wanting not only to understand but also to be understood.”
For Dr. Ho, combining the lessons learned from China’s past with technology and a more thoughtful media mindset will naturally lead to better relations between China and the United States. “To truly understand Chinese thinking,” said Dr. Ho, “one has to become ‘Chinese’. In other words, Westerners can only understand China when they are able to adopt a Chinese perspective.” As for China, which Dr. Ho described as “an introverted nation, which has traditionally not been used to expressing itself,” Dr. Ho said it should rekindle the spirit of the Silk Roads. “China should actively engage others in dialogue and let others come to understand us.” The Chinese “should do more work on public diplomacy,” said Dr. Ho.
Ultimately, Dr. Ho suggested that the value systems of China and the United States should not be seen as incompatible. Rather, Dr. Ho saw the two sets of values as complementary, with one making the other more meaningful, complete, and sustainable. According to Dr. Ho, matching the two sets of values would “contribute to a more complete, diverse, globalized, and modern world.” “The 21st Century will see China embarking on a third Silk Road,” said Dr. Ho. “It is the third ‘knock’ by China on the door of the world.”
WASHINGTON D.C., Oct. 6 – The China Energy Fund Committee (CEFC) hosted a dinner reception at the National Press Club this evening to celebrate the successful conclusion of its Sixth Sino-U.S. Colloquium. The event brought together over two hundred distinguished guests from China and the United States, including members of the media, business organizations, government, and academic institutions.
Dr. Patrick CP Ho, Deputy Chairman and Secretary General of the CEFC, delivered the dinner’s opening remarks and toasts. Keynote speakers included Mr. Cheng Siwei, Vice-Chairman of the 9th and 10th National People’s Congress Standing Committee, Robert McFarlane, former US National Security Advisor and Co-Founder of the United States Energy Security Council, Liu Guijin, Former Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Republic of South Africa, and Xia Jixuan, Vice President of China Radio International.
Guests were treated to courses of “Hundred Flowers Plate” (Grilled Shrimp and Salad), “One World Two Systems” (Sweet and Sour Chicken), “Long March” (Lo Mein Noodles), “Sweet Landing” (Chocolate Cake), and “E Pluribus Unum” (Tea and Coffee). The dinner menu was accompanied by unique postcards bearing artwork from China’s revolutionary era. As mementos of the Colloquium for the guests, they bore images celebrating friendship, learning, understanding, collaboration, and prosperity.
Communication Department
China Energy Fund Committee