On September 25-28, Asia Society, in partnership with the American Federation of Arts, the Chinese Museums Association, and the Nanjing Museum convened the U.S.-China Museum Summit in New York City. The Summit brought together Museum and cultural leaders from both countries to foster connections, reaffirm their commitment to working together long-term, explore opportunities for cultural exchange, and develop tangible plans for ongoing institutional collaborations. Examining the priorities and challenges faced by both parties through the lens of critical topics, such as leadership, funding, and governance, the Summit provided a forum for participants to engage in a series of in-depth panel discussions, networking meetings, and museum visits. The Summit concluded with a public program at Asia Society exploring the multifaceted ways in which Chinese and U.S. museums engage with their communities.

The conversations of the 2016 Summit built on the dialogues on U.S.-China museum partnerships and exchanges that were the focus of Meeting the West: Exhibitions from American Museums (Nanjing, 2014), organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Nanjing Museum; and the U.S.-China Museum Leaders Forum (Shanghai and Hangzhou, 2014) and U.S.-China Museum Directors Forum (Beijing, 2012), both organized by Asia Society and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

Participants for the program included:
Mr. Richard Armstrong (Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York), Ms. Sharon Matt Atkins (Brooklyn Museum), Mr. Josh Basseches (Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto), Mr. Rod Bigelow (Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville), Mr. Chen Tongle (Jiangsu Art Museum, Nanjing), Ms. Chen Yongyun (Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Museum, Yinchuan), Mr. Cheng Yi (Suzhou Museum), Ms. Kaywin Feldman (Minneapolis Institute of Art), Mr. Brian Ferriso (Portland Museum of Art), Mr. Tom Finkelpearl (New York City Department of Cultural Affairs), Ms. Zora Foy (Seattle Art Museum), Dr. Catherine Futter (The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City), Ms. Elizabeth Glassman (Terra Foundation for American Art), Dr. William M. Griswold (Cleveland Museum of Art), Mr. Gong Liang (Nanjing Museum), Ms. Michelle Hargrave (American Federation of Arts, New York), Mr. Jaap Hoogstraten (Field Museum, Chicago), Dr. Christoph Heinrich (Denver Art Museum), Mr. Fritz Huang (K11 Art Foundation), Ms. Huang Xueyin (Capital Museum, Beijing), Mr. Gene Jenneman (Dennos Museum Center, Traverse City), Dr. Tianlong Jiao (Denver Art Museum), Mr. Steven Kern (Newark Museum), Dr. Dorothy Kosinski (The Phillips Collection, Washington D. C.), Mr. Doug Kotwall (K11 Art Foundation), Mr. Sylvain Levy (DSL Collection), Ms. Jian Li (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond), Mr. Li Shengneng (Shenyang Palace Museum), Ms. Liu Wentao (Nanjing Museum), Mr. Li Liyan (Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China), Dr. Tom J. Loughman (Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford), Dr. Glenn Lowry (The Museum of Modern Art, New York), Mr. Luo Huaqing (Dunhuang Academy), Ms. Luo Xiangjun (Hebei Provincial Museum, Shijiazhuang), Ms. Claire Ma Xiaochen (Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China), Dr. Rob Mintz (Asian Art Museum, San Francisco), Mr. Dan L. Monroe (Peabody-Essex Museum, Salem), Mr. Robin Graeme Nicholson (The Frick, Pittsburgh), Mr. Alex Nyerges (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond), Ms. Katherine Anne Paul (Newark Museum), Ms. Ren Fangping (Palace Museum, Beijing), Dr. Martin Roth (Victoria and Albert Museum, London), Mr. Timothy Rub (Philadelphia Museum of Art), Dr. Emily Sano (San Antonio Museum of Art), Dr. Chen Shen (Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto), Dr. Hsueh-man Shen (Institute of Fine Arts, New York University), Mr. Boon Hui Tan (Asia Society, New York), Ms. Roxana Velásquez (San Antonio Museum of Art), Mr. Wang Qizhi (Nanjing Museum), Dr. Daisy Yiyou Wang (Peabody-Essex Museum, Salem), Ms. Wang Zhenfen (Lushun Museum, Dalian), Mr. Wei Jun (Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou), Ms. Wei Zhang (The Museum of the Imperial Palace of “Manchukuo,” Changchun), Mr. Matthew Welch (Minneapolis Institute of Art), Mr. Michael Whittington (Oklahoma City Museum of Art), Ms. Pauline Willis (American Federation of Arts, New York), Ms. Wu Heng (Nanjing Museum), Ms. Noelle Xie (Maxim Global), Dr. Jay Xu (Asian Art Museum, San Francisco), Mr. Shiyuan Yuan (Oklahoma State University Museum of Art), Mr. Zhang Huiguo (Shanxi Museum, Xi’an), Dr. Fan Zhang (Asian Art Museum, San Francisco), Mr. Zhang Zikang (National Art Museum of China, Beijing), Ms. Zheng Jing (Nanjing Museum), Mr. Shengtian Zheng (Vancouver Art Gallery), Dr. Julián Zugazagoitia (The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City).