Chinese, American Journalists in Exchange Program

Seven Chinese and seven American journalists are meeting at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i this week for a mutual dialogue culminating a new journalism exchange program in which each group visited the other’s country and are now comparing impressions.

The Chinese journalists traveled to Washington, D.C., New York City and Los Angeles, while the U.S. journalists visited Beijing, Chengdu and Hong Kong. Both groups met with government officials, community and business leaders, educators, local journalists, and others to gain insights on diverse issues and perspectives that shape the relationship between the two countries.

The theme for the 15-day China-United States Journalists Exchange program is “China-U.S. Relations: Impacts and Implications for the Global Economic Recovery.”

“With China’s increasing economic and political power, and the growing importance of China-U.S. relations in global affairs, we believe it is more important than ever that journalists from the two nations have an opportunity to better understand each other’s societies and media cultures, and to exchange viewpoints on major issues of common concern,” said Susan Kreifels, coordinator of the Center’s media seminar programs.

The program is co-sponsored by the EWC, the All-China Journalists Association and the Better Hong Kong Foundation. The participants are:

China

• Mr. Zhu Shouchen Executive Secretary, All-China Journalists Association, Beijing
• Mr. Zong Chunqi Senior Editor, Beijing Daily Group, Beijing
• Mr. Shi Quangen Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Shanghai Jiefang Daily Group, Shanghai
• Mr. Chang Fawu Senior Editor and Editor-in-Chief, Henan Daily Group, Zhengzhou City, Henan
• Mr. Guo Yueling General Director of Channel 11, Xinjiang TV, Urumqi City, Xinjiang
• Mr. Li Wenhai Senior Editor and President, Handan Daily, Handan City, Hebei
• Mr. Fang Xinjian Deputy Chief, America and Oceania Affairs Division, International Liaison Department, All China Journalists Association, Beijing

U.S.

• Mr. Jeffrey Chu Articles Editor, Fast Company, New York
• Mr. Michael Freedman Senior Editor, Newsweek, New York
• Ms. Erica Grieder Southwest Correspondent, The Economist, Austin, Texas
• Ms. Pia Lopez Associate Editor, Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California
• Mr. Doyle McManus Washington Columnist, Los Angeles Times, Washington, D.C.
• Ms. Leslie Norton Asia Editor, Barron’s Magazine, New York
• Mr. John Schoen Senior Producer, MSNBC.com, New Jersey

For more information on the program, visit www.eastwestcenter.org/chinausjournalists

The China-U.S. exchange program joins a variety of existing EWC travel-study programs for journalists, including similar Northeast Asia exchanges with Japan and South Korea. For more information on those and other EWC programs for journalists, visit: www.EastWestCenter.org/journalismfellowships