Remarks at the Asia Society Southern California Gala Dinner

Donald Tang
Chairman, Asia Society Southern California

Los Angeles, June 8, 2005

Good evening everybody. Ladies and gentlemen.

We overlook or misunderstand the importance of our relationship with China, at our own peril. The same is obviously true for the Chinese.

There is no escaping how important this relationship is to our sustainability of global security and prosperity, now and well into our future.

There is no escaping Asia’s impact on our lives, or our impact on Asian lives.

Every day, we are wearing that relationship with our clothes. Every day, we are driving that relationship on our roads. Every day we are watching that impact on our television and movie screens. And every day, we are benefiting from that relationship - with our laptops, cell phones, DVD players, and with the vast array of products that we buy in our stores.

The inflow of China’s dollar reserves has an obvious impact on our mortgage rates.

Every month we are feeling that impact when we make our payments.

Today it’s impossible to pick a stock or bond in the market without three billion Asians in mind.

There’s no escaping Asia’s impact on our lives.

Globalization is everywhere, like it or not, and it is a good thing. It embodies the American spirit. All of us are originally from all parts of the globe.

The interdependence between the U.S. and Asia is a good thing too. It is not only in our immediate past, not only in our future, it is in this very city, in this very room, and right here and right now.

Before I go on any further, let me introduce myself. I am Donald Tang, the Chairman of the Asia Society Southern California. On behalf of the Asia Society, I’d like to give a warm welcome to all of you.

To the distinguished government, business, and community leaders, from both sides of the Pacific - welcome.

I especially want to thank the 50-member delegation of government and business leaders from China, who have traveled all the way here to Los Angeles, to celebrate nearly three decades of trade and interdependence between our two great nations.

I want to thank the U.S. and California government, business and community leaders who are here tonight. I also want to express my deep gratitude to the diplomatic and consular corps, who have joined us here tonight.

We have more than ten Asian nations represented this evening in this room.

Thank you all for being here tonight!

Tonight’s dinner, and tomorrow’s conference, would not be possible without the great vision and generosity of our sponsors. We want to show our deepest gratitude to our numerous patrons: Platinum, Gold, and Silver sponsors, supporters and members of the Asia Society.

I also want to thank our Honorary Chairmen and our Dinner Co-Chairs for their gracious and generous support.

Finally, I want to give a very special thank you to the Asia Society Southern California staff for working around the clock to make this wonderful two-day event happen.

Tonight is one step towards deepening our relationship and understanding as commercial partners, global community members and – most importantly – as friends, country to country, people to people, and face to face.

Now as, the visiting Chinese delegation members will attest, the weather and the lifestyle, and progressive free spirit in our beautiful city of Los Angeles, are just incredible. It’s no wonder that so many Asians are part of this community! In fact, more Koreans and Chinese live in this city than in any other city outside of Korea and China.

But it isn’t just the weather and lifestyle that bring us together, the two-way trade between Southern California and China last year has reached $86 billion dollars - $86 billion.

There’s no better place than here in Los Angeles to launch our campaign to nurture and steward interdependence between the U.S. and Asia to best maximize the benefits for everyone across the globe.

Nearly three decades ago, whatever happened in China was of little consequence to Americans and vice versa. Fast forward thirty years and look what globalization has done. Our interdependence has reached a point of no return.

To some of us, especially to me, this has been more than a miracle - it has been a sweet dream.

My American dream has been made possible because of it. So I say thank God for America and thank God for globalization.

There is no stopping of market-based globalization. There is no question that the last three decades of trade and interdependence have been good to the Chinese people as well as to the rest of Asia.

There is no question that it has been beneficial to us as Americans. And there is no question that it has been good for the rest of the world.

While I do not have a crystal ball on how the next 30 years will evolve, as we enter the uncertain world of the 21 st century, I would encourage all of you, no, I urge all of us in this room to take ownership of our relationship.

This relationship will continue to impact our lives in a significant way and this relationship will surely impact the future of our children.

Our interdependence has reached our living rooms, our bedrooms, and our pockets. It should and will reach our hearts and souls. In order to do that we need to keep an open mind, we need to have regular and intimate communication.

That is our mission for the Asia Society Southern California.

Apart we will fail - together we shall win!

Let the dialogue begin and let the dialogue blossom.

Seeking peace and prosperity is indeed the hallmark of modern humanity.

Thank you very much.