On May 30th, Tsinghua University Chairperson Chen Xu paid a visit to Washington D.C., where she held talks with Matthew Pottinger, Special Assistant to U.S. President Donald Trump and National Security Council senior director for East Asia. She also visited the U.S. Department of Education later the same day. Tsinghua University Vice President and Provost Yang Bin accompanied Chen Xu on her visit to the U.S. capital.

During her meeting with Pottinger, Chen Xu briefed him on the major collaborations between Tsinghua and American universities, think tanks, and research institutions. Chen Xu noted that the China-U.S. High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange has played an important role in promoting China-U.S. educational cooperation. The education collaborations between Tsinghua and American universities have also made contributions to the development of this strategic consultation mechanism.

Recalling his visits to Tsinghua in past years, Pottinger said that he was greatly impressed with the beautiful campus of Tsinghua and its high-quality academic achievements.

Pottinger added that the recent Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing will provide a good chance for education exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and American educational institutions. He also expressed hope that Tsinghua can make a more significant contribution to the China-U.S. High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange in the coming years.

The Tsinghua delegation later visited the U.S. Department of Education, where Chen Xu had a meeting with James Manning, Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary and Acting Under Secretary. The two sides exchanged ideas on how universities in both countries could carry out deeper cooperation regarding global challenges such as climate change and public health.

Manning said that Tsinghua University plays an important role in higher education in China. He hopes that Tsinghua University and U.S. universities can take on the increasing changes, created by the rapid development of the Chinese economy, to further promote dialogue and exchanges between China and the U.S. in the coming years.

Also present at the meeting was Maureen A. McLaughlin, Senior Advisor to the Secretary and Director of International Affairs.

During her visit, Chairperson Chen Xu also met with Chinese Ambassador to the United States Mr. Cui TianKai, and she paid visits to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) where she met with Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of International Monetary Fund. She also visited the World Bank and met with Paul Romer, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank. Chen Xu discussed with them about future talent exchanges and research collaborations between Tsinghua University and international organizations.

Transferred from: Tsinghua University News