Report on the 14th Annual Conference

The Association of Chinese Political Studies (ACPS) successfully convened its 14th annual conference at American University in Washington, D.C. on November 6-7, 1999. The two-day conference attracted more than 80 participants from China, Taiwan, Britain, and seventeen states here in the United States. Among the participants were known scholars, government officials, university professors, think-tank research fellows, visiting scholars, journalists and graduate students. Dr. Guoli Liu, President Elect of ACPS, chaired the opening ceremony, and Dr. Gang Lin, President of ACPS, delivered a welcome address. Under the theme of "China Entering the New Millennium," Dr. Susan Shirk, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State, delivered the keynote speech on "the future of U.S.-China relations," and 40 panelists from China, Taiwan, Britain, and the United States delivered quality papers on China's domestic issues and foreign policy. The plenary session featured four distinguished speakers from China and Taiwan: Professors Kuang-Sheng Liao, Wenzhao Tao, Chucheng Ming, and Zhihuai Zhou, and the eight panels dealt with many of the most important issues that China is facing on the eve of the new millennium: cross-Taiwan strait relations, Sino-American relations, East Asian security, the reform of state-owned enterprises, village elections, state-society relations, and economic, political, and social development in China.

This conference was a great success, not only because it resulted in the promotion of ACPS' mission of fostering the pursuit of the international and intercultural aspects of knowledge and understanding of China but also because it provided a forum and an opportunity at an important moment of history for China scholars/watchers and people who are concerned with China's development to exchange ideas and for cooperation. Many participants were deeply impressed by the focus and depth of this conference.

This conference also produced a new ACPS Board of Directors. They include Drs. Guoli Liu (ACPS President, College of Charleston), Weixing Chen (ACPS President Elect, East Tennessee State University), Zhan Gao (treasurer, Syracuse University), Tiande Wang (William Paterson University), and Mr. Gregory Moore (University of Denver). Drs. Gang Lin, Guoli Liu, Weixing Chen, and ACPS Academic Committee and Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to express sincere thanks to all speakers, panelists, discussants and participants for their interest, participation and support.