Press Release

U.S. Consul General Promotes U.S., Nanning Ties

On November 4 and 5 U.S. Consul General Brian L. Goldbeck made his first visit to Nanning, Guangxi to meet with key government officials, academic and business leaders, and members of civil society. Consul General Goldbeck was accompanied by Political Officer Kurt Aufderheide, Assistant Public Affairs Officer Daniel Holtrop, and Foreign Commercial Service Officer Andrew Gately.

Consul General Goldbeck's meetings included Nanning Vice Mayor Mr. Huang Huansheng, Guangxi University for Nationalities Vice President Mr. Li Zhengang, Vietnamese Consul General Mr. Nguyen Anh Dung, and the China Council for Promotion of International Trade.  He also had the chance to explore Nanning, learning about opportunities for U.S. Companies to participate in the cities planned light rail project, and visit the Zhongshan Road Church and its surroundings. During his visit, CG Goldbeck hosted a dinner for the CEOs of 6 large local enterprises to explore the possibility for future cooperation with U.S. corporations and to promote U.S. exports. The visit also afforded the Consul General an opportunity to host a dinner with key leaders in trade, media, healthcare, and education fields to encourage stronger ties with their American counterparts.   

During his visit to Guangxi University for Nationalities, Consul General Goldbeck toured the campus and libraries, speaking with academics and administrators to underscore the importance of cultural exchanges hosted at universities in both China and the U.S.  He highlighted the growing role of Confucius Institutes in educating Americans about China's rich culture and history and said: “As our interconnectedness grows and we seek to learn more about each other -- how we think, analyze, and act -- it is vital that we continue to find new ways to make our cultures more accessible to each other, and what better place to begin that than in the universities and libraries of both our countries? As many Chinese universities are now preparing to host ‘American Corners’ -- the U.S. counterpart to Confucius Institutes -- Nanning could even become the first city to host an American Corner in China.”

Further reflecting on his trip, Consul General Goldbeck said: “The diversity of cultures and minority peoples living in Guangxi makes it one of China’s most interesting and unique areas. The relationship between the United States and Guangxi is an important partnership and a natural fit because of our similarities in celebrating cultural diversity.  Continuing to build our relationship through our increased Nanning outreach will serve our mutual long-term interests. We encourage Chinese and U.S. business, government and academic organizations to expand their relationships and partnerships.  We should continue to work on and build upon our cooperation on issues such as tourism, economic development and trade, educational exchange, intellectual property protection, transparent standards for international travel, and environmental protection.  We look ahead to the further growth of our relationship with the people of Nanning to help build mutual understanding.”