The city of Indianapolis is hosting the eighth annual Indianapolis Chinese Festival downtown on September 23, at IUPUI Wood Plaza from noon to 6 p.m.. This festival is held during the month of Chinese Moon Festival, which is the second largest Chinese festival after Chinese New Year. The Moon festival in China is a celebration of the harvest with family and friends.
Location:
IUPUI Wood Plaza
Indianapolis, IN
Time:
Saturday, September 23rd
12:00pm – 6:00pm
On Tuesday, August 29th, the America China Society of Indiana will be hosting its sixth annual gala at The Conrad in downtown Indianapolis. The event will feature a networking cocktail hour, dinner service, keynote speech and traditional Chinese dance performances.
Date: Tuesday, August 29th
Time: 6:00pm
Location: Conrad Indianapolis
Per Ticket Cost – ACSI Members $150 // Non-Members $200
To Register, please contact Colin Renk at colin.renk@americachinasociety.org
Thank you to our 2017 Sponsors:
The America China Society of Indiana (ACSI), a membership-based non-profit which facilitates bilateral business opportunities between Indiana and China, signed today a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with the Zhejiang International Investment Promotion Center (ZIIPC) at the Indiana-Zhejiang 30th Anniversary Celebration & Business Seminar at the Indiana Convention Center.
The agreement, witnessed by Governor Holcomb and Zhejiang Party Secretary Mr. Che Jun, aims to strengthen the business and economic ties between the state of Indiana and its sister province Zhejiang. Through this new platform, Indiana businesses, entrepreneurs and economic development professionals will be able to promote their products and services to potential partners in Zhejiang.
“Today marks a new chapter in the Indiana-China business relationship,” said Colin Renk, executive director of ACSI. “Through this agreement, organizations will have direct lines of communication with their counterparts in Zhejiang to provide more business opportunities for Indiana companies and more jobs for Hoosier workers.”
Between 2006-2016, Indiana’s goods exports to China rose 282% compared to the 51% growth rate in Indiana goods exported to the rest of the world. In 2015, Indiana’s exports to China supported 20,300 American jobs.
“For the past thirty years, Zhejiang has had a prosperous relationship with Indiana and we believe that by signing this agreement, our cooperation will be even better,” said Mr. Lu Weiqi, director of the Zhejiang International Investment Promotion Center.
Governor Eric J. Holcomb joined economic and cultural stakeholders from Indiana and China’s Zhejiang Province today to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Indiana-Zhejiang sister-state relationship, celebrating economic, cultural and educational efforts shared between the two states.
“We are thrilled to celebrate our 30 years of friendship with Zhejiang Province and reaffirm our cultural and economic ties,” Gov. Holcomb said. “It’s partnerships like this that help propel Indiana and Zhejiang to new levels, creating new business opportunities and enhancing international trade. As our future unfolds, I look forward to seeing the benefits that come from our global partnership.”
During the celebration, Gov. Holcomb and Zhejiang Party Secretary Che Jun, the highest-ranking official in the province and a member of the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress, renewed the Indiana-Zhejiang sister-state agreement that dates back to 1987. The agreement reaffirms the Indiana-Zhejiang sister-state relationship to further enhance economic relations, encourage industrial innovation and foster cultural, educational and healthcare exchanges.
After the ceremony, government, educational and business leaders participated in a business matchmaking seminar, allowing China-based firms and Indiana companies with operations in China to strengthen trade opportunities. Guests also had the opportunity to visit a tourism exhibition, which highlighted Zhejiang’s culture and tourist destinations.
Since 2010, China-based companies have announced plans to invest $217.4 million and create more than 929 new jobs in Indiana. Earlier this year, BeijingWest Industries, Co. Ltd announced plans to locate its first U.S. production facility in Indiana, creating up to 440 new, high-wage jobs by 2021.
Indiana is home to approximately 800 foreign-owned business that provide more than 170,000 quality jobs for Indiana residents. In 2016, more than $1.7 billion in exports were sent to Chinese markets from Indiana, making the country Indiana’s fourth largest-export location in the world.
On Thursday, August 24th, the State of Indiana and the America China Society of Indiana will host the Indiana-Zhejiang 30th Anniversary Celebration and Business Seminar at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. The half-day event, led by Indiana Governor Mr. Eric Holcomb and Zhejiang Party Secretary Mr. Che Jun, will feature a business matchmaking seminar, a signing ceremony re-affirming our sister state relationship, and a special photo exhibition cataloging the Indiana-Zhejiang Relationship. Lunch will be provided.
Details:
Thursday, August 24th
9:00am – 1:00pm
Location:
Indiana Convention Center
100 South Capitol Avenue
Registration:
Indiana-Zhejiang.eventbrite.com
The China General Chamber of Commerce Chicago (CGCC Chicag0), in partnership with the World Business Chicago and China Investment Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Commerce PRC, is hosting the 2017 Annual Gala of CGCC Chicago – “New Era – Opportunities & Challenges in U.S.-China Economic Cooperation”. During the recent Summit in Palm Beach, Florida, President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping, agreed to launch a 100-day plan to strengthen the trade and investment ties to boost cooperation between the two nations.
A Chinese-owned, Silicon Valley-headquartered company has announced an agreement to acquire the Mishawaka commercial assembly plant of South Bend-based AM General LLC. SF Motors says it plans to produce “environmentally-friendly, intelligent” electronic vehicles in St. Joseph County. The company is a subsidiary of Chongqing Sokon Industry Group and says it intends to retain the facility’s full current work force and invest $30 million into upgrades.
The plant, which employs around 430 in Mishawaka, is operated independently of AM General’s military assembly plant in the area. MAP operations will not be affected. SF Motors says it is not releasing financial details of the acquisition, but says the only current customer contract at the CAP is slated to expire at year’s end, which would result in the shutdown of a production line. AM General’s website says its commercial operations have assembled more than 1.5 million vehicles in more than 50 years, including the Hummer H1 and H2, Ford Transit Connect Electric, MV-1 paratransit vehicles and Mercedes-Benz R-Class.
SF Motors Chief Executive Officer John Zhang “this transaction represents a unique opportunity to grow our intelligent electric vehicle business through the addition of an existing production facility and a skilled work force. We are excited to work closely with our new Indiana-based team to produce SF Motors’ next-generation electric vehicle in South Bend, Indiana, and we look forward to becoming a part of the local community and a strong contributor to Indiana’s economic growth.”
SF Motors recently set up its North American headquarters in the Silicon Valley and a research and development operation in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company has ambitious plans in the U.S., which include establishing an EV clean mobility brand based on the West Coast that will source its parts primarily in the U.S. and create a supply chain in the country.
AM General CEO Andy Hove calls SF Motors “the right long-term owner to support the CAP, as well as the South Bend community and the State of Indiana.” He adds “this transaction puts the CAP on solid ground to keep the assembly lines running, providing our tremendously talented and dedicated employees new opportunities as part of SF Motors and its plans to produce next-generation electric vehicles. South Bend has been AM General’s home for nearly 30 years, and following the sale of the CAP, we will maintain our deep ties to the region as we continue to operate our military business, which is profitable, strong, and growing.”
The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter. It is awaiting industry approvals, as well as clearance from regulators in the Unites States and China.
Story Courtesy of Inside Indiana Business/Dan McGowan
On June 12, 2017, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences hosted the US-China Think Tank Symposium at the World Food Prize facility in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. The day-long event, which hosted two dozen speakers including former Ambassadors J. Stapleton Roy, Kenneth M. Quinn and Julia Chang Bloch, featured topics on the US-China relationship under the Trump Administration, US-China trade and economic cooperation and the future prospects of cooperation between the world’s two largest economies. ACSI Executive Director, Colin Renk, presented to the Symposium on state/province exchanges and cooperation.
