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Assignment: China

Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 / Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm 

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The U.S.-China Institute at the University of Southern California has produced a new documentary film, Assignment: China – The Week that Changed the World. Written and narrated by Mike Chinoy, formerly CNN’s senior Asia correspondent and Beijing bureau chief, the film uses previously unreleased footage and interviews with the reporters and officials who accompanied President Richard Nixon to tell the behind-the-scenes story of the media coverage of the trip that changed the course of U.S.-China relations. The United States Institute of Peace and the State Department’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau hosted a screening of Assignment: China, followed by a conversation featuring some of those who traveled to China with Nixon.

February marks the 40th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China. The trip was also a milestone in the history of journalism. Since 1949, the Chinese government had barred virtually all American reporters. For the Nixon visit, however, China agreed to accept nearly 100 correspondents, and to allow the most dramatic events to be televised live. 

The U.S.-China Institute at the University of Southern California has produced a new documentary film, Assignment: China – The Week that Changed the World. Written and narrated by Mike Chinoy, formerly CNN’s senior Asia correspondent and Beijing bureau chief, the film uses previously unreleased footage and interviews with the reporters and officials who accompanied Nixon to tell the behind-the-scenes story of the media coverage of the trip that changed the course of U.S.-China relations.

The United States Institute of Peace and the State Department’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau hosted a screening of Assignment: China, followed by a conversation featuring some of those who traveled to China with Nixon.

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Opening
  • Richard Solomon, Welcoming Remarks
    President, United States Institute of Peace
  • Kurt Campbell, Remarks
    Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State
Screening of Assignment: China - The Week that Changed the World
  • Mike Chinoy, Introduction
    Senior Fellow, U.S.-China Institute, University of Southern California
    Former CNN senior Asia correspondent
Panel Discussion
  • Dwight Chapin, Panelist
    Former appointments secretary for President Nixon
  • Bernard Kalb, Panelist
    Former New York Times/CBS News/NBC News correspondent
  • Stanley Karnow, Panelist
    Former Washington Post Asia Hong Kong correspondent
  • Robert Keatley, Panelist
    Former correspondent, Wall Street Journal, Editor, Asian Wall St. Journal, Editor South China Morning Post
  • Tara Sonenshine, Moderator
    Executive Vice President, United States Institute of Peace

A reception hosted by Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Mike Hammer followed the panel discussion.

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