PRC Ambassador Visited Atlanta

Special consultant to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and former ambassador to Canada (1992-97), Mr. Zhang Yijun visited Atlanta on 19-21 November 2003. Ambassador Zhang was accompanied by two prominent “America hands,” Professor Tao Wenzhao of the Institute of American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Professor Yuan Zhen, vice president of the China Institute of International Studies --- a think thank associated with the MFA. On the Georgia Tech campus Ambassador Zhang gave a public talk on Sino-American relations. He and his group also visited leaders of the Georgia State government, including Secretary of State Cathy Cox, under the auspices of State Senator Sam Zamarripa. He also visited the Carter Center hosted by the director of that Center’s China Village Elections Project, Dr. Yawei Liu. A small dinner was also hosted for Dr. Zhang’s delegation at the Cherokee Country Club to provide further opportunity to meet with regional governmental, business, and academic leaders. This was Ambassador Zhang’s first visit to the south, and he conveyed his surprise over Atlanta’s relatively high level of knowledge of and enthusiasm about China. Senator Zamarripa briefed Ambassador Zhang about the Georgia China Future initiative, including Senator Zamarripa's hope that the next PRC consulate opened in the United States will be in Atlanta.