PCAH Chairman Serves as Host for Chinese Minister of Culture

Last June the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) made an historic visit to the People's Republic of China. The dialogue and relationships begun there sparked a recent visit to the United States by Sun Jiazheng, China's minister of culture. He participated in PCAH's Coming Up Taller ceremony at the White House on 28 January which made its first award to a Chinese youth arts and humanities group from Shanghai, the Little Companion Theatre Company. Following the ceremony, the PCAH's Chairman and Dr. James Billington, Librarian of Congress, served as co-hosts for a luncheon in honor of Minister Sun.

People's Republic of China Minister of China Sun Jiazheng (center) visited El Paso, Texas with PCAH Chairman as part of PCAH's cultural diplomacy efforts.

Dr. Billington remarked to the guests that the Library of Congress holds one of the largest collections of Chinese print materials outside China, having received ten works in 933 volumes from Emperor Tongzhi in 1869 as part of an exchange authorized by the Congress. He added that the discussions in China last summer were very fruitful, and he was looking forward to further collaboration on making cultural resources accessible to broader audiences through digital technology.

Minister Sun thanked his hosts, presenting Dr. Billington with an ancient Chinese book that had been reproduced with the latest technology as a facsimile of the original. As a poet, the minister shares with the PCAH Chairman and Dr. Billington a passion for books. And it was a book that was in part the impetus for the Minister Sun's subsequent visit to Texas. During her visit to China last summer, the PCAH Chairman presented Minister Sun with parting gift of a rare Saddle Blanket Edition of the King Ranch written and illustrated by Texas author Tom Lea.

“Tom Lea’s writings and paintings were largely inspired by his deep love for and connection to our shared hometown of El Paso, Texas. I believe by sharing what we love draws us closer together, and artists such Tom Lea can help others understand our country and its culture,” said the PCAH Chairman.

Minister Sun expressed his wish that he wanted to see more of the U.S. having only been to New York City and Washington, DC and the PCAH Chairman's response, “I took that to heart, so when we returned from our trip, we started to put our heads together. We had already invited him to the Coming Up Taller Awards, but then we decided to extend the invitation to Texas.”

The PCAH Chairman accompanied Minister Sun to the King Ranch outside Corpus Christa and then on El Paso where he gave a presentation to some 400 people at the El Paso Museum of Art. To the crowd at the museum he reported favorably on his visit saying “El Paso is a city of friendship and harmony and it's also full of art. I see the cultural diversity here, with very distinctive features of Mexico's influence.”

The PCAH will pursue more opportunities in the coming year to broaden cultural ties with China, beginning with an delegation to China in the summer.