BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//github.com/rianjs/ical.net//NONSGML ical.net 4.0//EN VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:David J. Firestein President and CEO\, George H. W. Bush Found ation for U.S.-China Relations David J. Firestein is the inaugural presid ent and CEO of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations (Bush China Foundation) and a founding and current member of the Foundati on’s Board of Directors. Prior to joining the Bush China Foundation\, Fir estein was the founding executive director of The University of Texas at Austin’s (UT) China Public Policy Center (CPPC) and a clinical professor at UT’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Before moving to UT\, Firestein served as senior vice president and Perot Fellow at the New Yo rk City-based EastWest Institute (EWI)\, where he led the Institute’s tra ck 2 diplomacy work in the areas of U.S.-China relations\, East Asian sec urity and U.S.-Russia relations\; Firestein\, who held EWI’s lone endowed chair\, remains one of the longest-serving senior executives in EWI hist ory. A decorated career U.S. diplomat from 1992–2010\, Firestein speciali zed primarily in U.S.-China relations. Among the honors Firestein garnere d during his diplomatic career were the Secretary of State’s Award for Pu blic Outreach (2006) and the Linguist of the Year Award (1997). Toward th e end of his State Department career\, Firestein served as an elected mem ber of the Board of Governors of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)\, the union and professional association of the United States For eign Service\; in this capacity\, he represented and worked to advance th e interests of several thousand State Department constituents. He also se rved as the elected president of the large community associations of the U.S. embassies in Beijing and Moscow. Firestein is the author or co-autho r of three books on China\, including two China-published Chinese-languag e best-sellers\, as well as a large number of China-focused monographs\, policy reports and articles (and publications on non-China-related topics ). As a writer\, Firestein broke new ground in a number of ways: in the m id-1990s\, he became the first foreign citizen to have a regular column i n a People’s Republic of China newspaper and the first foreign diplomat ( and perhaps the first foreign citizen) to publish an original book in the country\, among other milestones. Firestein is a prolific public speaker and frequent commentator in the U.S. and Chinese media. The Voice of Ame rica’s Mandarin Service wrote in 2016 that Firestein is “one of the world ’s best non-native speakers of Mandarin Chinese”\; early in his career\, he interpreted for dozens of top-level U.S. and Chinese leaders and offic ials. (Firestein also speaks Russian.) In the years since he left the Sta te Department\, Firestein has produced path-breaking Capitol Hill testimo ny\, thought leadership and scholarship on a wide range of topics\, inclu ding U.S. arms sales to Taiwan\, U.S.-China trade\, the role of national exceptionalism as a driver of major international conflict\, the value of government\, U.S. public diplomacy in the wake of 9/11\, and the use of contemporary country music as presidential campaign communication. Numero us incumbent and former U.S secretaries of state and national security ad visors from both sides of the partisan aisle – along with multiple other incumbent and former U.S. Cabinet members\, members of the U.S. Joint Chi efs of Staff\, U.S. combatant commanders and other prominent U.S. figures – have lauded Firestein’s contributions and achievements in the area of U.S.-China relations. In recent years\, Firestein periodically has been i nvited to brief significant swaths of the U.S. investment community\, inc luding via the 20-20 Investment Association and the Pacific Pension & Inv estment Institute which together represent well over $30 trillion under m anagement\, on China and U.S.-China relations. Firestein currently serves on the boards of directors or advisors of over a dozen foreign affairs-f ocused\, business-focused\, China-focused\, and Texas-focused U.S. non-pr ofit organizations. Of particular note\, Firestein is one of the few Amer icans who is concurrently formally affiliated with two different U.S. pre sidential legacy entities (the Bush China Foundation\; and the LBJ School of Public Affairs\, where he serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council). Fir estein is also the only non-profit executive ever elected to the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Business\, Texas’ influential cham ber of commerce. And he is a member of the founding\, and current\, board of directors of the U.S. Heartland–China Association\, where he serves a s the inaugural chairman of the policy committee. Firestein was a member of the graduate faculty of the University of Texas at Austin for a total of four academic years\, most recently from 2017 to 2019. He was also the first foreign diplomat ever to teach courses and coach debate at MGIMO ( now\, MGIMO University)\, Russia’s premier foreign affairs training groun d. A native of Austin\, Texas and current resident of the Austin area\, F irestein holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and two mas ter’s degrees from The University of Texas at Austin\, as well as various advanced training certifications from the National Foreign Affairs Train ing Center of the U.S. Department of State. DTEND:20210422T180000Z DTSTAMP:20240329T125353Z DTSTART:20210422T163000Z LOCATION: SEQUENCE:1 SUMMARY:David J. Firestein - U.S.-China Relations UID:812fcade-890d-47ee-8f79-e9808bf47014 X-ALT-DESC:
David J. Firestein
\nPresident and CEO\, George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Re
lations
\nDavid J. Firestein is the inaug
ural president and CEO of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China
Relations (Bush China Foundation) and a founding and current member of t
he Foundation&rsquo\;s Board of Directors.
\n
\nPrior to joinin
g the Bush China Foundation\, Firestein was the founding executive direct
or of The University of Texas at Austin&rsquo\;s (UT) China Public Policy
Center (CPPC) and a clinical professor at UT&rsquo\;s Lyndon B. Johnson
School of Public Affairs. Before moving to UT\, Firestein served as senio
r vice president and Perot Fellow at the New York City-based EastWest Ins
titute (EWI)\, where he led the Institute&rsquo\;s track 2 diplomacy work
in the areas of U.S.-China relations\, East Asian security and U.S.-Russ
ia relations\; Firestein\, who held EWI&rsquo\;s lone endowed chair\, rem
ains one of the longest-serving senior executives in EWI history.
\n
\nA decorated career U.S. diplomat from 1992&ndash\;2010\, Firestei
n specialized primarily in U.S.-China relations. Among the honors Fireste
in garnered during his diplomatic career were the Secretary of State&rsqu
o\;s Award for Public Outreach (2006) and the Linguist of the Year Award
(1997). Toward the end of his State Department career\, Firestein served
as an elected member of the Board of Governors of the American Foreign Se
rvice Association (AFSA)\, the union and professional association of the
United States Foreign Service\; in this capacity\, he represented and wor
ked to advance the interests of several thousand State Department constit
uents. He also served as the elected president of the large community ass
ociations of the U.S. embassies in Beijing and Moscow.
\n
\nFir
estein is the author or co-author of three books on China\, including two
China-published Chinese-language best-sellers\, as well as a large numbe
r of China-focused monographs\, policy reports and articles (and publicat
ions on non-China-related topics). As a writer\, Firestein broke new grou
nd in a number of ways: in the mid-1990s\, he became the first foreign ci
tizen to have a regular column in a People&rsquo\;s Republic of China new
spaper and the first foreign diplomat (and perhaps the first foreign citi
zen) to publish an original book in the country\, among other milestones.
Firestein is a prolific public speaker and frequent commentator in the U
.S. and Chinese media. The Voice of America&rsquo\;s Mandarin Service wro
te in 2016 that Firestein is &ldquo\;one of the world&rsquo\;s best non-n
ative speakers of Mandarin Chinese&rdquo\;\; early in his career\, he int
erpreted for dozens of top-level U.S. and Chinese leaders and officials.
(Firestein also speaks Russian.)
\nIn the years since he left the St
ate Department\, Firestein has produced path-breaking Capitol Hill testim
ony\, thought leadership and scholarship on a wide range of topics\, incl
uding U.S. arms sales to Taiwan\, U.S.-China trade\, the role of national
exceptionalism as a driver of major international conflict\, the value o
f government\, U.S. public diplomacy in the wake of 9/11\, and the use of
contemporary country music as presidential campaign communication. Numer
ous incumbent and former U.S secretaries of state and national security a
dvisors from both sides of the partisan aisle &ndash\; along with multipl
e other incumbent and former U.S. Cabinet members\, members of the U.S. J
oint Chiefs of Staff\, U.S. combatant commanders and other prominent U.S.
figures &ndash\; have lauded Firestein&rsquo\;s contributions and achiev
ements in the area of U.S.-China relations.
\n
\nIn recent year
s\, Firestein periodically has been invited to brief significant swaths o
f the U.S. investment community\, including via the 20-20 Investment Asso
ciation and the Pacific Pension &\; Investment Institute which togethe
r represent well over $30 trillion under management\, on China and U.S.-C
hina relations.
\n
\nFirestein currently serves on the boards o
f directors or advisors of over a dozen foreign affairs-focused\, busines
s-focused\, China-focused\, and Texas-focused U.S. non-profit organizatio
ns. Of particular note\, Firestein is one of the few Americans who is con
currently formally affiliated with two different U.S. presidential legacy
entities (the Bush China Foundation\; and the LBJ School of Public Affai
rs\, where he serves on the Dean&rsquo\;s Advisory Council). Firestein is
also the only non-profit executive ever elected to the Board of Director
s of the Texas Association of Business\, Texas&rsquo\; influential chambe
r of commerce. And he is a member of the founding\, and current\, board o
f directors of the U.S. Heartland&ndash\;China Association\, where he ser
ves as the inaugural chairman of the policy committee.
\n
\nFir
estein was a member of the graduate faculty of the University of Texas at
Austin for a total of four academic years\, most recently from 2017 to 2
019. He was also the first foreign diplomat ever to teach courses and coa
ch debate at MGIMO (now\, MGIMO University)\, Russia&rsquo\;s premier for
eign affairs training ground.
\nA native of Austin\, Texas and curre
nt resident of the Austin area\, Firestein holds a bachelor&rsquo\;s degr
ee from Georgetown University and two master&rsquo\;s degrees from The Un
iversity of Texas at Austin\, as well as various advanced training certif
ications from the National Foreign Affairs Training Center of the U.S. De
partment of State.