"China in Perspective: A Symposium" (1990)

Immediately following the tragic events at Tiananmen in 1989, NACA-Boston responded by sponsoring several programs in appraisal of China's future, and to provide background information for NACA members to chart the Association's role in future activities sponsored by the Chinese government. An event called "China Forum I: Reflection & Prospects for the Current Student Movement in China," was held on June 24, 1989, whose speakers were:

• Xue-liang Ding of Harvard University

• Prof. Kathleen Hartford of UMass Boston

• Prof. Wei-ming Tu of Harvard University.

"China Forum II: The Spirit of Law: East and West" was held on November 18, 1989, with speakers:

• Prof. O. Blanchette of Boston College

• Prof. Kui-de Chen of the Institute of Culture, East China University of Chemical Technolgoy, China.

NACA-Boston, in celebration of its tenth anniversary of founding, organized a symposium on Chinese culture and civilization, with speakers:

• William Sargent of Peabody Muesum

• Prof. Wei-ming Tu of Harvard University

• Chinese writer and critic, Liu Binyan

(from left: NACA-Boston President, Michael Wong, Liu Binyan, Wei-ming Tu, and William Sargent)

These speakers spoke to a well-attended audience: 

In conjunction with NACA's 1990 National Convention held in Boston, NACA-Boston organized a symposium entitled China in Perspective. (Program announcement) The program consisted of several well-known speakers:

Ezra Vogel: Dillion Professor of International Relations at Harvard University; studied China's recent reform and author of One Step Ahead in China: Guangdong Under Reform (Harvard University Press, 1989); also well-known for his blockbuster, Japan As Number One, all-time best seller in Japan by any western author.

Peter Geitner: Director of Ford Foundation's Asia Program; lived in China for many years and had worked closely with China's research institutes and on China's economic development.

Walter A. Rosenblith: Institute Professor Emeritus and former Provost of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; currently involved with the science and technology exchange with China.

Zhi Zhong-jun: Director of the Institute of American Study, Academy of Social Science, Beijing, China.

Thomas Lee: Professor of Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; had established many joint-ventures between the General Electric and China since 1979, and was in China recently with a delegation to discuss major policy issues with China's leaders.

The NACA Distinguished Achievement Award had been awarded to Mr. Li Ao, Dr. Chang-lin Tien, and Dr. Thomas Lee.