FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, September 1, 1999

Peace Corps to be Honored for Service in China; Henry Kissinger to Deliver Keynote Address at Dinner in New York City Next Week

Washington, D.C., September 1, 1999—The Peace Corps will be honored next week by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations for the agency\'s "notable contributions to United States-China relations."
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger will deliver the keynote address at the Sept. 8 dinner in New York City. Motorola Inc. and the National Geographic Society will also be honored.
"In different ways, each of our honorees has helped Americans and Chinese learn more about each other, and has contributed to the building of constructive ties," said Gerald Levin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Time Warner Inc., and Chairman of the dinner.
Active in China since 1993, Peace Corps volunteers serve as critical catalysts for Sino-American understanding by teaching English to language teachers in Sichuan Province. In addition to language skills, volunteers in China have focused on stimulating critical thinking, embracing problem-solving skills and providing computer training. Later this year, the Peace Corps will expand its China program to Guizhou Province.
The 53 Peace Corps volunteers now in China are among the more than 7,000 volunteers working in 77 countries to bring clean water to communities, teach children, protect the environment, help start new businesses, and prevent the spread of AIDS. Since 1961, more than 155,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps.
Founded in 1966, the National Committee on United States-China Relations is the leading national, non-partisan public affairs organization devoted exclusively to building constructive and durable relationships between the United States and China.
Motorola is being honored by the National Committee for making employee education a key priority in its China investments. The National Geographic was cited for having improved geographic knowledge about China to generations of its readers, viewers and Internet users.
Previous honorees have included Kissinger (1986), Ambassador Winston Lord and Mrs. Bette Bao Lord (1988), Maurice Greenberg (1991), Henry Luce III and David Rockefeller (1993), Barbara Bush, Charlene Barshefsky, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Caroline Ahmanson, and Amy Tan (1995), and The Ford Foundation, the New York Stock Exchange and the World Bank (1997).

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