Organization and Mission The Committee of 100 is an organization of Chinese Americans dedicated to the spirit of excellence and achievement in America. The Committee's purpose is to provide leadership and act as a moral force in the dual mission of:
- Promoting the full participation of all Chinese Americans in American society and acting as a public policy resource for the Chinese-American community
- Promoting constructive dialogue and relationships between the peoples and leaders of the United States and Greater China.
All members are American citizens of Chinese descent who have achieved prominence in their respective fields. Current members include I.M. Pei, master architect; Yo-Yo Ma, renowned cellist; Steve Chen, co-founder of YouTube; Leroy Chiao, NASA Astronaut; David Ho, AIDS researcher and 1996
Time Man of the Year; and Michelle Kwan, figure skating champion. Membership to the Committee of 100 is by invitation.
The Committee has headquarters in New York City and active chapters in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Beijing.
Our Programs Established in 1989, the Committee of 100 has a rich legacy of harnessing the power of its distinguished membership to address significant, complex issues pertaining to Chinese Americans and U.S.-China relations. Our members actively work in partnership with each other as well as high-level policymakers and preeminent civic leaders to advance three core program areas:
1.) U.S.-China Trust-Building2.) Next-Generation Leadership Development3.) Chinese Americans for Greater Inclusion 1. U.S.-China Trust-building The Committee has actively participated in the U.S.-China dialogue for a quarter century, representing Chinese American influencers who are uniquely positioned to foster regular exchanges and deepen mutual understanding between the leaders of Beijing and Washington.
C-100 Member Delegations – Since the Committee’s inception, C-100 members have led regular diplomatic delegations to Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taipei to discuss current issues pertaining to U.S.-China relations with prominent political and business leaders. In addition, C-100 conducts public outreach in the United States and regularly meets with American officials who focus on China policy in Congress, the White House, and the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, and Defense. With unique access in Washington D.C. and on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, C-100 is one of the only groups that can successfully navigate cross-strait and US-China relations at the highest levels while maintaining a position as a neutral bridge.
C-100 China DelegationsProgram – C-100 began sending annual delegations of American opinion and civic leaders to China in 2007. Through the Committee of 100’s vast networks, these trips provide a comprehensive perspective on China’s development and challenges, and delegates are presented with unique opportunities to meet with influential leaders and visionaries shaping China’s future. This program advances C-100’s continuing efforts to better inform the American public about China and dispel erroneous assumptions, sensationalist narratives, and simplistic conclusions.
To date, ten trips have brought a total of 26 American opinion leaders and 18 civic leaders to China. C-100’s most recent China Delegation included Howard Fineman, Editorial Director of
The Huffington Post; Brian Gallagher, Editorial Page Editor of
USA TODAY;
Mark Halperin, Editor at Large of
Time Magazine; and Ruth Marcus, Columnist for
The Washington Post. The delegates traveled to Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou to attend a total of 16 meetings on U.S.-China relations, Chinese foreign policy and national security issues, intellectual and artistic trends, the economy, civil society, youth, journalism and social media, banking and finance, the environment, and the political system.
The U.S.-China Public Perceptions Opinion Survey – C-100’s signature research product measures the perceptions of Americans and Chinese on key issues affecting U.S.-China relations. C-100’s signature surveys began in 1994 and produced reports in 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2012, tracking attitudinal shifts in American and Chinese perceptions towards each other over more than a decade. In the most recent reports from 2007 and 2012, two consistent themes were revealed: 1) the U.S. and Chinese publics hold favorable views of each other, recognize the importance of U.S.-China relations, and affirm increasing bilateral economic interdependence; and 2) a majority of Americans view China’s growing economic and military power as a serious or potential threat, and nearly half of all Chinese respondents think the United States is trying to prevent China from becoming a global power. Both survey samples include the general public, opinion leaders, and business elites in the United States and China, and selected groups from the U.S. policy community. Survey details can be viewed online at
www.survey.committee100.org.
As China rapidly grows as a world superpower, creating new opportunities and challenges for the United States and the world, C-100 continues to leverage its highly regarded membership of Chinese American leaders to serve as a substantive bridge and champion constructive exchange with China.
2. Next-Generation Leadership Development As leaders in their respective fields and communities, Committee of 100 members actively mentor and cultivate next-generation leaders. In Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., and Beijing, members volunteer their time to provide emerging leaders unique opportunities to learn directly from their paths to success. Participants of regional mentorship programs later convene at C-100’s Annual “Common Ground” Conference for an
Annual Leadership Summit and meet one-on-one with a larger pool of members. The regional programs and Annual Leadership Summit advance C-100’s mission to develop a robust pipeline of future Asian American leaders and U.S.-China bridge-builders.
In 2005, the Committee of 100 launched the
Leadership Scholarship Program (LSP) in partnership with over ten universities in China to help Chinese post-graduates reach their greatest potential through scholarships. Through a competitive selection process, students are awarded for their dedication to social responsibility, academic excellence, and leadership potential. Since its inception, the program has awarded over 200 scholarships.
This year, C-100 plans to launch several new collaborations to significantly grow, leverage and elevate the impact of partnering high-performing nonprofits in the field of next-generation leadership development and US-China bridge-building.
3.Chinese Americans for Greater Inclusion C-100 works to promote the full participation of Chinese Americans in all areas of American life. Important issues such as social justice, education, ethnic profiling, civil rights, immigration, and the professional glass ceiling are among the topics that C-100 members regularly discuss with leaders in government, education, and the business community.
Aided by our highly regarded membership, the Committee is positioned to collectively weigh in on sensitive issues concerning Chinese Americans. In 2000, C-100 led sixteen Asian American organizations in forming a coalition to raise national awareness of the denial of due process in the Wen Ho Lee case of alleged espionage, which later resulted in a public apology from President Bill Clinton. In 2005, the Committee compiled data from that year’s Fortune 500 listings in order to highlight the ongoing importance of building a pipeline of qualified Asian Pacific Americans for key board appointments, especially given the particular links and talents they bring with regard to the Pacific Rim. C-100 issued the “APA Corporate Report Card Updates” based on the 2006 Fortune 500 listings. In 2010, as a member of the 1882 Project’s steering committee, C-100 led the call for and eventual passage of Senate Resolution 201 and House Resolution 683 that formally acknowledged and expressed regret at the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Laws.
In 2012, C-100 launched a series of workshops, "Unique Challenges & Risks for Chinese Americans in Science and Technology," for Chinese and Chinese Americans working in the technology sector. In 2013, C-100 co-hosted book presentations in New York and Los Angeles on
Forbidden Citizens: Chinese Exclusion and the U.S. Congress following the 1882 Project’s efforts to put forth an historical acknowledgement by Congress of the injustices of the Chinese Exclusion laws. C-100 monitors and releases official statements on key issues facing the Asian American community, such as immigration reform, the impact of China-bashing on Chinese and Asian Americans. Most recently, statements were released denouncing California Senate Constitutional Amendment No. 5 (SCA-5), and Fox News analyst Bob Beckel’s July 2014 remarks on Chinese students in the U.S.
Common Ground Conferences The Committee of 100’s annual conferences in the U.S. and Greater China convene C-100 members and opinion leaders to address the foremost issues pertaining to U.S.-China relations and the Chinese American community. With consistent participation from prominent speakers and influencers from the United States and China, the conferences provide a unique opportunity to highlight the importance of constructive U.S.-China relations and celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of Chinese Americans.
Past conference speakers include:
- Henry Kissinger – 56th U.S. Secretary of State
- Henry Paulson – 74th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
- Zbigniew Brzezinski – former U.S. National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter
- Ang Lee – Academy Award-winning Film Director
- Vikram Pandit – Chief Executive Officer, Citigroup
- Indra Nooyi – Chairperson and CEO, PepsiCo
- Henry Kravis – Founding Partner, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Christopher Lu – U.S. Cabinet Secretary
- Thomas Friedman – Author, Hot, Flat & Crowded
- Zhang Yesui – then-Chinese Ambassador to the U.S.