On November 19th, ACSI hosted its fifth annual China Business Conference on an online platform which included virtual exhibition booths, B2B program, and interactive livestream. The half-day event, which hosted more than 190 business and government leaders, focused on the changing business  dynamic between the U.S. and China and how Indiana businesses can cope with trade uncertainties. Presentations included Chinese Business Perspective on the Trade War, Exporting in the COVID-era Panel Discussion, Indiana-to-China Case Study: LHP Engineering Solutions, Trade & Tariff Considerations for U.S. Companies, Policy Roundtable—Recommendations for the Next Administration, Immigration, Visas & Global Mobility, and the Future of International Students in U.S.
Education.

The Provincial Government of Zhejiang, China has recently donated 100,000 medical masks to support coronavirus response and recovery efforts throughout the state of Indiana.

“It has been incredible to see Indiana companies and partners from across the world shifting gears to help support our health care providers on the frontline,” said Jim Schellinger, Indiana Secretary of Commerce. “We are grateful for the friendship Indiana has cultivated with Zhejiang Province over the last 30-plus years and for their continued partnership during these unprecedented times.”

The face masks were delivered to the State of Indiana for distribution to Indiana’s hospitals, first responders, long-term care facilities and health care providers treating COVID-19 patients. This donation was facilitated by the America China Society of Indiana, which served as the importer on record and intermediary for the shipment. Additional regulatory and customs support were provided by Livingston International.

Since 1987, the state of Indiana has maintained a sister-state relationship with Zhejiang Province. Last September, Governor Eric J. Holcomb made his first official state visit to Zhejiang, traveling with Indiana Secretary of Commerce Schellinger and representatives of the American China Society of Indiana. While there, the delegation visited Hoosier and Chinese businesses and joined provincial officials from Zhejiang Province to renew the Indiana-Zhejiang sister-state relationship, celebrating the economic, cultural and educational connections shared between the two states.

“As our state continues to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus, this generous donation by the people of Zhejiang is welcome and truly appreciated,” said Colin Renk, executive director of the America China Society of Indiana. “It is during times of adversity that true friends are formed.”

This donation represents the sixth major PPE donation to the state of Indiana and its local communities by Chinese partners. Earlier this year, Westfield Outdoors, Faegre Drinker Shanghai Office and Shenzhen Diecasting Mold donated more than 105,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE), including face masks, gloves and gowns, to the state of Indiana. Additionally, the city of Hangzhou donated 10,000 medical masks to the city of Indianapolis; and the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, a capital campaign administered by coalition of seven Chinese-American non-profits throughout central Indiana, donated 22,500 PPEs to central Indiana hospital systems and medical centers.

Successful operations and supply chain managers understand manufacturing in China. Dr. Craig Seidelson‘s book takes readers inside Chinese organizations and shows how factories are built, labor is managed, goods are sourced, quality is controlled, and logistics are handled. Through this immersion experience, readers are able to see the opportunities and pitfalls manufacturing in China.

Read More

The COVID-19 Emergency Fund, managed and planned by a coalition of seven local Chinese-American non-profits, has raised $12,985 to supply frontline medical workers with PPEs throughout central Indiana.

The coalition, which also solicited donated supplies, has already purchased and provided more than 18,000 face masks, 3,500 disposable gloves, 1,000 face shields, and additional medical supplies to 38 organizations including: Ascension St. Vincent, Columbus Regional Health, Community Health Network, Eskenazi Health, Hendricks Regional Hospital, IU Health, Methodist Hospital, Rosewalk Assisted Living, Whitestown Fire Department, and Zionsville Police Department.

“It is our social responsibility to give back to our community and to help out any way we can,” said Yuhua Hui, president of Children’s Eyes on the Globe. “We, the Chinese-American community, think of Indiana as our home.”

The Fund’s coalition partners include: America China Society of Indiana, Asian American Today, Children’s Eyes on the Globe, Chinese American Bridge, Indianapolis Chinese Community Center, Inc. (ICCCI), Indianapolis Chinese Performing Arts, Inc. and the Indianapolis-Hangzhou Sister City Committee.

“Through our connections back in China, we were able to procure much needed medical supplies and get them into the hands of frontline medical workers in Indiana,” said Quanbo Xiong, president of ICCCI.