Asia Society
Annual Dinner & Awards Gala

Feb.  25, 2004

Waldorf Astoria Hotel,  NY, NY

The annual dinner for the Asia society was an event that covered what is probably one of the most important current event issues today, namely, U.S. relations with China and the formation of a more intimate cultural bridge between Chinese and U.S. societies.The honorees received awards for their tremendous contributions to the field of Asian journalism. The first honoree was Ronnie Chan, of Hang Lang Group, Ltd., and Hang Lang Properties, Ltd. Among his vast credentials, which extend beyond the field of journalism, are Chairman of the China Heritage fund, which restores relics in the mainland of China, and board membership of the China Development Research Foundation of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. Mr. Chan is also a former member of the governing policies of the World Economic Forum.

The next honoree to be awarded was Mr. Maurice R. Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of American International Group, which is the world’s leading global insurance and financial services organization, operating in 130 countries and jurisdictions worldwide. Among Mr. Greenberg’s many, many credentials are Honorary Vice Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations and Board of Directors of the New York Stock Exchange, the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade and Policy Negotiations, and the recipient of honorary degrees from institutions as New York Law School, Brown University and Middlebury College.

The next honoree was Douglas Tong Hsu, Chairman and CEO of the Far Eastern Group, one of the top five textile producers in the world, and one of Taiwan’s largest and most industrial conglomerates, dealing with a vastly diverse array of textiles and synthetic fabrics. Among Mr. Hsu’s impressive credentials are Chairman of Sino-American Asian Culture Foundation, board member of National Cultural & Arts Foundation, trustee of the University of Notre Dame and many more.

The last honoree, and keynote speaker for the evening, was Mr. Rupert Murdoch, the Chairman and CEO of The News Corporation, Ltd., the world’s leading publisher of English-language newspapers, a premier provider of filmed entertainment, and one of the top American television networks, the foremost group of local television stations across the U.S. Mr. Murdoch is the creator of some of cable television’s fastest-growing channels, a leading book publisher, and a pioneer in direct-broadcast satellite television. He is a recipient of the Companion of the Order of Australia (A.C.) Award for services to the media and to newspaper publishing in particular.

New Corporations global operations include the creation and distribution of media products and services in the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America. Mr. Murdoch is also a world acclaimed media baron. We listened to Mr. Murdoch speak about the major reform that needs to take place in China’s economy, if U.S. and China relations are to become more intimate. His own words were “If China is to emerge as a durable and responsible world leader, there are considerable improvements to be made in its trade practices and economic policies.”

Among some of the most important are the need for reform in the areas of intellectual property. Mr. Murdoch praised China for its economic growth, describing its industrialization and modernization as one of the most profound transformations ever to take place in history, and believes that by the year 2050, China will have the largest economy in the world. Mr. Murdoch commented that China must still deal with a wide range of "profound demographic changes" that are accompanying this rapid economic expansion, and he also pointed out that if China is seeking to build a stronger bridge between its practices and policies and those of the US, it needs to re-evaluate its viewpoints on a variety of issues, including intellectual property, as one example. This includes a reform of, among other things, its viewpoint(s) that copyright infringement is considered “tolerable” (currently, copyright infringement penalties are not enforced by the Chinese Government.) Among the many adverse consequences of this kind of attitude is the endangerment of the lives and welfare of consumers who purchase and use inferior, unsafe, patent-infringing products such as automobiles and automobile parts. Mr. Murdoch made key points, such as the need for more students to learn the Chinese language. He pointed out the disproportional statistics in language learning in the U.S., commenting that the French language is taught to over 1,000,000 annually, with 80,000,000 people in France, yet with a population of over 1.3 Billion in China, there still are fewer than 40,000 students, learning the Chinese language. Mr. Murdoch gave a great, eye-opening speech, on the economic, and over-all future of China and the Chinese economy.

NEW YORK, February 26, 2004-In partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and in conjunction with the NBA's preseason games to be held in China in October, the Asia Society will organize a major delegation to China that will include NBA owners, executives and sponsors, as well as other U.S. business leaders and government officials

We were also informed of the upcoming National Basketball Association’s (NBA) pre-season China games, coming up on October 14th and 17th, with the Sacremento Kings and Houston Rockets teams, will be taking place in Shanghai and Beijing. The games will be broadcast live in China and the United States. This will be the first time Yao Ming returns to his native country with his NBA team, the Houston Rockets. It will also mark the 25-year anniversary of the NBA's first trip to China, when the NBA champion Washington Bullets traveled to China to play two exhibition games against the Chinese National team. In partnership with the NBA and in conjunction with the NBA's preseason games to be held in China in October, the Asia Society will organize a major delegation to China that will include NBA owners, executives and sponsors, as well as other U.S. business leaders and government officials. “The NBA China Games are a significant step in our relationship with Chinese basketball and Chinese fans," said NBA Commissioner David Stern. "We are proud to work with the Asia Society to demonstrate the degree to which basketball has become an international language that emphasizes common interests and promotes understanding.”

We at Liberty News Online would like to thank Ms. Elaine Merguerian for inviting us to attend this very important event. Anyone interested in learning more about the Asia Society and its ventures, or who wishes to become a member, may visit their website at www.asiasociety.com.

Asia Society is America's leading nonprofit, nonpartisan public education organization dedicated to broadening understanding of Asia and of U.S.-Asia relations. It offers Through quality programs such as conferences, symposia, international study missions, press briefings, publications, art exhibitions and performing arts productions. It also offers initiatives to improve elementary and secondary education about Asia. Through these services, the Society reaches out to a broad range of professionals and individuals interested in international affairs and culture. Asia Society's programs also provide a leading forum for executives to meet the policy makers and business leaders who shape the Asia Pacific business environment. Asia Society is headquartered in New York, with offices in Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Manila, Melbourne and Shanghai.

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