News and Events – 2012

China (Xiamen) International Boat Show 2012

The Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee supported the 5th annual China (Xiamen) International Boat Show which took place this November. Xiamen’s temperate climate and coastal location make it one of China’s most important centers for the marina and yachting industries. At the time, the contacts for more information were BXSCC Chairman W. Fontaine Bell and/or Business Sub-Committee Chair Richard Minton.

6th Annual China Town Hall: Ambassador Gary Locke & Counsellor Zha Liyou

Canceled

This event was canceled due to the severe weather associated with Hurricane Sandy. All persons who paid by credit card should have received a refund on their credit card statement through our credit card processor (Acteva). Attendees were asked not to attempt to reverse, cancel or refuse their original payment, as this would have caused costly administrative fees. Questions or problems were directed to BXSCC Chair Fontaine Bell.

We appreciated everyone’s support and apologized for any inconvenience. We looked forward to seeing everyone at the next year’s China Town Hall and other Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee events. You can follow our activities at www.bxscc.org.

We hoped everyone and their families and colleagues all stayed safe during this dangerous storm.

Original Event Information:

7 to 9:15pm, October 29th, 2012

The City of Baltimore – Office of the Mayor and the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee were to host the ‘6th Annual China Town Hall’ on behalf of the National Committee on United States-China Relations (NCUSCR) at Baltimore’s City Hall. Following a catered reception from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, the program was to begin with a nationwide webcast speech from Beijing by U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke. After the national program, Counsellor Zha Liyou from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington, DC, was to comment, in person, on the webcast speech and to also address the important role of sister cities and friendship organizations in U.S.-China bilateral relations.

The Baltimore hosts of the 2012 China Town Hall would like to thank the following area organizations and businesses for their generosity in sponsoring the reception and other local event costs: Christopher B. Miller Company, Long River Realty, Marina Ventures, Ltd., the Maryland China Initiative at the University of Maryland, and Whiteford Taylor Preston, LLP.

For more information, including registration instructions, please view our flyer.

China International Fair for Investment & Trade

The Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee supported the annual China International Fair for Investment & Trade (CIFIT) in Xiamen. This was the largest national event of its kind in China and attracted investors, importers and exporters from all over China and most foreign countries. At the time, the contacts for more information were BXSCC Chairman W. Fontaine Bell and/or Business Sub-Committee Chair Richard Minton.

Xiamen University Student Counselors Complete University of Maryland Executive Development Program

BXSCC Chair Fontaine Bell and Vice Chair Lisa Liu attended the graduation ceremony for 32 Xiamen University student counselors from the University of Maryland’s Executive Development Program. For three weeks these counselors participated in a special course designed to improve their ability to handle the needs of foreign students at Xiamen University. Xiamen University is one of China’s leading universities, and at the time had a total student population of more than 25,000, including more than 1,000 foreign students. The University of Maryland’s Maryland China Initiative provided non-degree training for Chinese leaders in a variety of professions including Educational Administration. The BXSCC was instrumental in bringing this group to Maryland and during the ceremony presented a citation from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake congratulating the group on its success.

View a photo from the event at our Facebook page.

Johns Hopkins Hospital / Chinese American Doctors Association Delegation Visit Xiamen

Six Baltimore doctors representing the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the Chinese American Doctors Association, and Kaiser Permanente were the guests of the Xiamen Maternity and Child Care Hospital from August 11th through 15th, 2012. The trip’s main purpose was to lecture at a Chinese national symposium of gynecology and obstetrics in Xiamen. While there, the doctors also discussed closer ties between the medical and health establishments in both cities and shared medical, academic, administrative, demographic, and collaborative insights. This was the third such exchange since 2009 and a reflection of the importance of a long-standing sister city relationship started in 1985 by the late Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer.

View photos from the event at our Facebook page.

China Business & Trade Matchmaking Seminar

The City of Baltimore – Office of the Mayor and the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee hosted a China Business & Trade Matchmaking Seminar from 9:30 AM to 12:00 noon at City Hall on Friday, June 8th, 2012. The seminar included general information on doing business with Baltimore’s sister city in Xiamen, China as well as an opportunity for direct matchmaking meetings with 7 Xiamen companies who were part of a business delegation to Baltimore organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. For more information, please view our flyer.

View photos from the event at our Facebook page.

Poly Students Receive BPI/Baltimore-Xiamen Chinese Language Award

Mr. Jim Zhang, BXSCC member and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Chinese language teacher, selected two Class of 2012 students to receive the second annual BPI/Baltimore Xiamen Chinese Language Award. Johnson Wah Lung Lei and Jordan Lea Walker each received a gift card from the BXSCC and a certificate from their school for demonstrating excellence in the study of Mandarin Chinese. Congratulations to both students: We wish Johnson and Lea all the best in their future endeavors!

Carver Students Presented with Mayoral Citation and Chinese Language Award

May 22nd was a very exciting day for the Carver Vocational-Technical High School senior class of 2012. The Senior Farewell Day Assembly is one of the most important activities on the seniors’ calendar. During this assembly, five members of the Class of 2012 who participated in the summer 2011 Carver-Xiamen Sister School exchange trip were presented with a Mayoral Citation commemorating their historic trip. Additionally, one of their classmates captured the 2012 Baltimore Xiamen Chinese Language Award. This was the first – but certainly not the last – presentation of this award. This year’s top Chinese language student was LaBrea Pack. LaBrea received a one hundred dollar gift card as her prize. This annual award was to be given to Carver’s top Chinese language student as selected by their teacher Dr. Jiya Zhong.

Carver Vocational-Technical High School Welcomes Xiamen Educators

On May 11th, six distinguished educators from the Xiamen Electronic Vocational High School and the Confucius Institute of the University of Delaware met with Principal Kirk Sykes and several members of the Carver-Xiamen School Exchange Project Committee at Carver Vocational-Technical High School to discuss plans for their teachers’ exchange visit that coming October. After concluding the meeting, the group lunched at the Inn at the Black Olive in Fells Point and toured City Hall.

View photos from the visit at our Facebook page.

BXSCC Supports Xiamen University Executive Development Program Delegation

BXSCC Chair W. Fontaine Bell, Vice Chair Lisa Weimin Liu, and Business Committee Chair Richard Minton attended a dinner party in Washington, D.C. to welcome 63 business leaders from southeast China who were participants in Xiamen University’s Executive Development Program. Led by Mr. Yongmiao Hong, Dean of the Xiamen University School of Economics, the delegation visited leading research universities, financial experts, companies, and institutions, and explored business opportunities throughout the U.S. during May 2012 as part of their curriculum. The dinner was co-hosted by the U.S.-China Association of Commerce and the Xiamen Alumni Association of North America. The keynote speaker was Mr. Zhang Shaogang, Minister-Counselor of The Economic & Commercial Office at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States. Mr. Bell was also a speaker. He reviewed the history of Baltimore City and State of Maryland relations with China since 1980 and the ongoing vibrant commercial, cultural, medical and educational connections. For more information about this delegation please visit http://www.chineseindc.com/ (in Chinese).

BXSCC Announces 2012-2014 Leadership Team

The BXSCC was pleased to welcome our leadership team for the 2012-2014 term! Continuing officers on our Executive Committee included W. Fontaine Bell as Chair, Leslie Simpson as Treasurer, Andrew Brizzolara as Secretary, and Vincent Liu as Member-at-Large. Lisa (Weimin) Liu became our new Vice Chair. For the latest information on our Sub-Committees and Functional Teams, please visit our Leadership page.

BXSCC Members Lend a Helping Hand to Port Discovery’s Annual Chinese New Year Celebration

Excitement filled Port Discovery Children’s Museum on January 21st as BXSCC volunteers arrived to ring in the Year of the Dragon. Mr. Jinrong Chen, our master calligrapher, meticulously completed personalized bookmarks for our many guests. Guests thoroughly enjoyed the art/cultural activities, learning basic terms in Mandarin, conversing with our committee members, and practicing Chinese calligraphy. Happy Chinese New Year to all!

For more information, please visit the Port Discovery event website or view the event flyer. View photos from the event at our Facebook page.