BEIJING, CHINA - From 5th to 9th May 2016, a delegation from the InterAction Council visited China to discuss plans for a collaboration in July 2016. The delegation was led by H.E. Mr. Bertie Ahern, Co-Chair of the InterAction Council and former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, and included Dr. Thomas S. Axworthy, IAC Secretary-General, Mr. Henry Wen, IAC Senior Business Advisor and CEO of the Foundation of World Leadership, and Dr. Can Wang, General Secretary of the Foundation of World Leadership. While in China, the delegation met with officials in both Beijing and Guiyang, with a summary of those meetings to follow:
5th May 2016, Dr. Thomas S. Axworthy, visited the Ministry of Education in China, and met with Mr. Zhang Xinsheng, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Eco-Forum Global (EFG), President of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They decide to collaborate on an IAC experts' meeting as part of the EFG in July 2016.
6th May 2016, H.E. Mr. Bertie Ahern and Dr. Thomas S. Axworthy visit the Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA) and meet with its General secretary, Mr. Zhang Xuejun, focused on exploring a possible collaboration between the IAC and WRSA in the future.
7th May 2016, the IAC delegation visits the Irish embassy in China, meeting with Ambassador Paul Kavanag and to promote the IAC meeting in EFG.
8th May 2016, the IAC delegation visits Guizhou Province and meets with Ms. Shen Yiqin, deputy secretary of Guizhou provincial party committee, and other government officials to deliver the themes of the IAC meeting in July, including water, food safety, health and climate changes.
9th May 2016, the IAC delegation visits Zhejiang University, which is one of the top three universities in China, meeting with Prof. Wu Zhaohui, president of Zhejiang University. They are looking forward to exploring a collaboration between the IAC and Zhejiang University. As an initial gesture, Zhejiang University has invited two youth leaders from the IAC to attend the G20 Conference in China in September 2016. Afterwards, Dr. Thomas S. Axworthy gave a speech to the College of Public administration, titled, “Speaking truth to and with power.”