On Wednesday, February 15 the Atlantic Council served as a cooperating organization for a luncheon with special guest Xi Jinping, Vice President of China, hosted by the US-China Business Council and the National Committee on US-China Relations. The delegation from the Council included Atlantic Council Chairman Senator Chuck Hagel, Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe, Director of Strategic Foresight and Asia Programs Banning Garrett, and Atlantic Council Board Directors Paula Dobriansky, Robert Gelbard, and Chas W. Freeman.

The luncheon included an introduction of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping by Henry Kissinger, founder and chairman of Kissinger Associates and board director of the Atlantic Council. At the luncheon, Vice President Xi delivered his major policy address of his visit to the United States. Xi noted the growing relationship between the United States and China, and the need for more frequent people-to-people interaction.

Xi Jinping was appointed PRC vice president in March 2008. He was appointed to the Standing Committee of the 17th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo in October 2007 and has been mentioned as a possible successor to President Hu Jintao. Xi began his career with positions in local and provincial government, and in March 2007 became Shanghai party secretary, a position he held until his appointment to the Politburo in October of the same year.

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