Our Mission

The George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations honors our namesake’s life-long view that the U.S.-China relationship is the most consequential bilateral relationship in the world and that a constructive relationship between the two countries serves a vital interest of the United States, as well as the interests of the entire global community. We seek to advance engagement, education and information-sharing among the U.S. and Chinese policymaking, business and academic communities and are committed to promoting diversity and cross-generational inclusion in foreign policy and to giving back to our communities. The Bush China Foundation’s active, wide-ranging and highly innovative program of activities reflect President Bush’s vision of honest and open dialogue between nations and a safer and more prosperous world for all.

ANNUAL REPORT

2022 Annual Report

2021 Annual Report

2019/2020 Annual Report

Message From Our President

The mission of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations is to advance U.S.-China relations in ways that reflect the ethos, spirit and values of President George H. W. Bush. While in the Oval Office and throughout his long post-presidency, President Bush regarded China as a vital partner of the United States and the U.S.-China relationship as the single most important bilateral relationship in the world. President Bush advocated an approach to China that was clear-eyed and focused on long-term U.S. interests rather than the political winds of the moment. He sought a relationship with China that was functional, substantive, results-oriented, mutually beneficial and politically sustainable. Though President Bush loved the Chinese people, he didn’t shy away from calling out, sometimes in blunt terms, Chinese policies and actions that he felt were misguided or inimical to the interests of the United States.

The Bush China Foundation was founded in May 2017 with the blessing and support of President George H. W. Bush; it began full operations on September 1, 2019. The Foundation’s work is guided by President Bush’s vision. We believe that virtually no major global challenge today can be resolved in any enduring sense in the absence of effective communication and cooperation between the United States and China. We emphatically reject the notion that China is the enemy of the United States, even as we view China as the most formidable overall national competitor the United States will face in the lifetime of every American alive today. Like President Bush, Foundation staff members have for many years expressed disagreement with, and leveled direct public criticism of, Chinese policies and actions on issues ranging from China’s approach to Taiwan and Hong Kong, to China’s human rights record and its handling of the Tiananmen protests in 1989, to China’s trade and investment practices and, most recently, China’s early response to COVID-19, among others.

Over the years, numerous former U.S. secretaries of state and national security advisors from both sides of the partisan aisle, along with multiple former members of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and other notable Cabinet-level observers, have lauded the thought leadership of individuals who are now members of the Bush China Foundation staff team.

Though the terms of the U.S. debate on China have shifted dramatically over the last several years, the Bush China Foundation remains committed to its positioning in the “sensible center” of U.S.-China discourse and faithful to the vision of its namesake.

David J. Firestein, President & CEO

OUR TEAM

Alan H. Yang Deputy Director Institute of International Relations, National Chengchi University

Alan H. Yang
Deputy Director
Institute of International Relations, National Chengchi University

Angelos Angelou Founder/CEO  International Accelerator

Angelos Angelou
Founder/CEO
International Accelerator

Avonda Fogan Director and Chief Strategy Officer Black China Caucus 

Avonda Fogan
Director and Chief Strategy Officer
Black China Caucus 

Bhagya Senaratne Postdoctoral Fellow Center for Global Asia, New York University Shanghai

Bhagya Senaratne
Postdoctoral Fellow
Center for Global Asia, New York University Shanghai

Bill Ide III Akerman General Counsel George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations

Bill Ide III
Akerman General Counsel
George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations

Bing Zeng President Association of Chinese Professionals, Atlanta

Bing Zeng
President
Association of Chinese Professionals, Atlanta

Bob Campbell Founder/CEO Campbell Global Services, LLC

Bob Campbell
Founder/CEO
Campbell Global Services, LLC

Brian Tse Founder/CEO Concordia AI

Brian Tse
Founder/CEO
Concordia AI

Bulelani Jili Meta Research Ph.D. Fellow Harvard University

Bulelani Jili
Meta Research Ph.D. Fellow
Harvard University

Carla A. Hills Honorary Chair

Carla A. Hills
Honorary Chair

Carolyn Kissane Associate Dean Center for Global Affairs, New York University

Carolyn Kissane
Associate Dean
Center for Global Affairs, New York University

Charles Foster Vice Chairman

Charles Foster
Vice Chairman

Charles HuaSenior Policy AdvisorU.S. Department of Energy

Charles Hua
Senior Policy Advisor
U.S. Department of Energy

Da Wei Professor Department of International Relations, Tsinghua University

Da Wei
Professor
Department of International Relations, Tsinghua University

David J. Firestein President/CEO

David J. Firestein
President/CEO

Dong Wang Executive Director Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding, Peking University

Dong Wang
Executive Director
Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding, Peking University

Emily ConradPhD CandidateFudan University

Emily Conrad
PhD Candidate
Fudan University

Eric H. Fang Founder/Chairman of the Board Sinoaccess Group

Eric H. Fang
Founder/Chairman of the Board
Sinoaccess Group

Fang Fang CEO Big Plan

Fang Fang
CEO
Big Plan

Florence Fang

Florence Fang

Fred Teng President AmericaChina

Fred Teng
President
AmericaChina

Gordon Shen Assistant Professor Department of Management, Policy, and Community Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health

Gordon Shen
Assistant Professor
Department of Management, Policy, and Community Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health

Henry Yuan Venture Partner VU Ventures

Henry Yuan
Venture Partner
VU Ventures

Jacob L. Shapiro Founder/Chief Strategist Perch Perspectives

Jacob L. Shapiro
Founder/Chief Strategist
Perch Perspectives

Jacqueline Miller President and CEO World Affairs Council of Seattle

Jacqueline Miller
President and CEO
World Affairs Council of Seattle

Jennifer Huang Bouey Tang Chair in China Policy Studies RAND Corporation

Jennifer Huang Bouey
Tang Chair in China Policy Studies
RAND Corporation

Joel Cowan Adjunct Lecturer/ Turner Chair in Servant Leadership Scheller College of Business, Georgia Tech

Joel Cowan
Adjunct Lecturer/ Turner Chair in Servant Leadership
Scheller College of Business, Georgia Tech

John Kent Director Supply Chain China Initiatives, Department of Supply Chain Management, Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas

John Kent
Director
Supply Chain China Initiatives, Department of Supply Chain Management, Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas

Kwan Yee NgSenior Program ManagerConcordia AI

Kwan Yee Ng
Senior Program Manager
Concordia AI

Lin Gao Goodwill Ambassador Eisenhower Foundation

Lin Gao
Goodwill Ambassador
Eisenhower Foundation

Lin Wang PhD Candidate School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University

Lin Wang
PhD Candidate
School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University

Liu Qiao Dean/Professor of Finance Guanghua School of Management, Peking University

Liu Qiao
Dean/Professor of Finance
Guanghua School of Management, Peking University

Liza Mark Chief Representative/ Administrative Partner Shanghai Office, Haynes and Boone, LLP

Liza Mark
Chief Representative/ Administrative Partner
Shanghai Office, Haynes and Boone, LLP

Mark Kirk Former U.S. Senator (R-IL)

Mark Kirk
Former U.S. Senator (R-IL)

Michael Murphree Assistant Professor University of Sydney Business School

Michael Murphree
Assistant Professor
University of Sydney Business School

Muk-Kan Morgan ChuGraduate StudentFudan University

Muk-Kan Morgan Chu
Graduate Student
Fudan University

Neil Bush Founder/Chairman

Neil Bush
Founder/Chairman

Rodger Baker Executive Director Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics

Rodger Baker
Executive Director
Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics

Ryan Ray CEO Ray Global Advisors

Ryan Ray
CEO
Ray Global Advisors

Sana Hashmi Postdoctoral Fellow Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation

Sana Hashmi
Postdoctoral Fellow
Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation

Sandy Lombardo Chief Operating Officer

Sandy Lombardo
Chief Operating Officer

Seong-Hyon Lee Visiting Scholar Asia Center, Harvard University

Seong-Hyon Lee
Visiting Scholar
Asia Center, Harvard University

Shirley Hargis Nonresident Fellow Atlantic Council Global China Hub and Digital Forensic Research Lab

Shirley Hargis
Nonresident Fellow
Atlantic Council Global China Hub and Digital Forensic Research Lab

Shuoyang (Sunny) Zhang Founder TrueLeap Inc.

Shuoyang (Sunny) Zhang
Founder
TrueLeap Inc.

Timothy P. Stratford Senior Counsel and Former Managing Partner Covington & Burling LLP (Beijing)

Timothy P. Stratford
Senior Counsel and Former Managing Partner
Covington & Burling LLP (Beijing)

Tsung-Mei Cheng Health Policy Research Analyst Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University

Tsung-Mei Cheng
Health Policy Research Analyst
Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University

Tyler Johnson Founder Laowai Enterprises, LLC

Tyler Johnson
Founder
Laowai Enterprises, LLC

Wayne Silby Founding Chair Calvert Funds (retired)

Wayne Silby
Founding Chair
Calvert Funds (retired)

William C. Kirby Professor T.M. Chang Professor of China Studies/ Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration, Harvard University

William C. Kirby
Professor
T.M. Chang Professor of China Studies/ Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration, Harvard University

Winston Ma Chairman Mountain & Co. Acquisition Corp.

Winston Ma
Chairman
Mountain & Co. Acquisition Corp.

Yali Zou University Endowed Professor Global Leadership Studies, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, Director of the Asian American Studies Center, University of Houston

Yali Zou
University Endowed Professor
Global Leadership Studies, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, Director of the Asian American Studies Center, University of Houston

Yamei Shen Associate Research Fellow China Institute of International Studies

Yamei Shen
Associate Research Fellow
China Institute of International Studies

Yang Luo-Branch President Arkansas Association of Asian Businesses

Yang Luo-Branch
President
Arkansas Association of Asian Businesses

Ying McGuire CEO & President National Minority Supplier Development Council

Ying McGuire
CEO & President
National Minority Supplier Development Council

Yuquan Wang Founding Partner Haiyin Capital

Yuquan Wang
Founding Partner
Haiyin Capital

Yvonne Chang Professor Department of Asian Studies and Program in Comparative Literature, The University of Texas at Austin

Yvonne Chang
Professor
Department of Asian Studies and Program in Comparative Literature, The University of Texas at Austin

Zhe (Walter) Wang Assistant Professor Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Zhe (Walter) Wang
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Zichong YeGraduate StudentSchool of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

Zichong Ye
Graduate Student
School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

Zuhal Kurt Director Mesay Global

Zuhal Kurt
Director
Mesay Global