A recent interview in the western Massachusetts Women’s Times suggested that I have a rather closer connection to Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger, due to my having been made a member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, than is actually the case. Being a member of the National Committee is indeed a considerable honor, and gave me the chance to attend a luncheon for Chinese Premier WEN Jiabao in September when he made his second trip to the United States and attended the opening of the United Nations in New York. I wasn’t sure I should take the time away from the office, but my son Tom made it clear that he would never speak to me again if I missed the chance to see “Grandpa Wen” in person. It’s been fascinating to learn about historic events like Ping Pong Diplomacy (1971-2) that the National Committee was closely involved in, and to see their more recent initiatives – such as the Public Intellectuals Program and the annual China Town Hall – expand as we approach the 30th anniversary of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.