Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee’s Second Annual Calvin Chin Memorial Dim Sum Brunch
Sunday October 25th, 2009
Calvin Chin was a founding member of the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee and a patriarch of Baltimore’s Chinese community. He passed away on February 12th, 2008. The ZhongShan Restaurant in Baltimore’s Chinatown is at the same location where he and his wife, Katherine “Kitty” Chin, owned and operated a Chinese restaurant for many years.
All funds raised at this event supported the activities of the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee, including student, cultural, medical, environmental, and business exchanges between the two cities.
For photos from the event, please visit our Facebook photo album.
Xiamen International Boat Show
October 31st to November 3rd, 2009 (Briefing session on July 29th, 2009)
The Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee, Maryland-Washington DC District Export Council, U.S. Export Assistance Center and Cooper/Wallace, LLC led the Maryland Marine & Boat Mission to the Xiamen International Boat Show, October 31st to November 3rd, 2009. Held at the state-of-the-art Wuyuan Bay Marina Complex. The products and services of mission participants were showcased, with additional opportunities for site visits, networking events, and meetings with industry contacts.
Xiamen is home to China’s eighth largest deep water port and boasts a large yacht manufacturing base which accounts for nearly one third of the country’s yacht exports. It is also one of the top three marina development locations in China.
This was a chance for Maryland and regional boating equipment manufacturers, service providers and marina related companies to get in on the ground floor of China’s dynamic market. A preliminary briefing session was held at the Baltimore U.S. Export Assistance Center on Wednesday, July 29th.
China International Fair for Investment & Trade
September 8th, 2009
The Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee organized a business delegation to Xiamen, China to attend the four-day China International Fair for Investment & Trade. This is the largest national event of its kind in China and attracts investors, importers and exporters from all over China and most foreign countries. In addition to having a booth at the fair, the committee arranged matchmaking meetings with potential partners and organizations both at the fair and in Xiamen.
China Marine Resource Management Group Delegation Visits NOAA
Singapore International Water Week
June 22nd to 26th, 2009
Peter Gourlay, Chairman of the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Environmental Sub-committee and President of Maryland-Asia Environmental Partnership, attended Singapore International Water Week from June 22nd through June 26th, 2009 where he spoke as part of the North America Business Forum.
Singapore International Water Week is the global platform that brings policymakers, industry leaders, experts and practitioners together to address challenges, showcase technologies, discover opportunities and celebrate achievements in the water world. The theme of this year’s event is “Sustainable Cities – Infrastructure and Technologies for Water”. See www.siww.com.sg for more information
Chinese Embassy Official Visits Baltimore
June 11th, 2009
Duan Jun, 1st Secretary at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the USA, visited Baltimore as the guest of the Mayor’s Office of International & Immigrant Affairs and the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee. Ms. Duan, a native of Beijing, recently arrived in Washington, DC to work in the embassy department responsible for relations with U.S. state and local governments.
In Beijing Ms. Duan managed PRC relations with U.S. Sister Cities and other friendship associations. As part of her visit she attended the June monthly meeting of the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee.
Baltimore Medical Delegation Visits Xiamen
April 24th to 27th, 2009
A delegation of four Johns Hopkins doctors and the Chairman of the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the Xiamen Maternity and Child Health Hospital (also known as the Lin Qiaozhi Hospital in honor of this Xiamen native and pioneer of modern Chinese obstetrics and gynecology.) While in Xiamen, the doctors presented medical lectures to the hospital staff and also met with the Dean of the Medical School of Xiamen University to plan long-term cooperation and exchanges.
Xiamen Business Delegation Visits Baltimore
March 20th, 2009
The Xiamen Foreign Economic & Trade Enterprises Association (XFETEA) led a 22-person delegation representing 15 companies from Xiamen to Baltimore on Friday, March 20th, 2009 to meet with potential business partners. This event was held at Baltimore’s City Hall from 9am to 12 noon and concluded with a buffet lunch from 12 noon to 1pm.
XFETEA is a private trade organization that assists its more than 1,500 member companies with foreign trade and investment.
Chinese New Year Celebration at Port Discovery
January 24th, 2009
The Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee was a sponsor and participant in Port Discovery’s Chinese New Year Celebration for local children.
The highlight of the event was a master Chinese calligrapher who made bookmarks of individual’s names translated into Chinese. Committee members provided the “on-site” translation. Other activities included Chinese children’s games and a workshop on using chopsticks.
Maryland-Asia Environmental Partnership Reception for Beijing Municipal Water Delegation
January 14th, 2009
The Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee was a cooperating partner and participant in a reception for a visiting delegation from Beijing’s Municipal Water Authority. The reception was organized by Peter Gourlay, President of Maryland-Asia Environmental Partnership (MD-AEP) and Chairman of the Baltimore-Xiamen Committee’s Environmental Sub-committee.