State Rep. Charlice Byrd (R-Woodstock) is half Chinese and calls herself the “Asian caucus of one” in the Georgia legislature (far left). She made a speech and read a proclamation to the event’s chair and co-chairs. From left to right, Julin Gu, president, Association of Chinese Professionals, Lani Wong, chair, National Association of Chinese Americans, Atlanta Chapter and Frank Zhou, president, Chinese Business Association of Atlanta.

Large, inflated versions of the Beijing Summer Olympic mascots greeted guests in the reception area.

VIDEO - A trio from the Chinese Music Ensemble of Atlanta performs a variety of Chinese songs. Spring Yang (far left) is a well-respected erhu virtuoso who has her own music school. Erhu literally means two strings, and the instrument is sometimes known in the West as a Chinese violin. Li Xing Yu (far right) is also trained on the Western flute.  Melody Zhen (center) plays the Guzheng, a sort of Chinese harp. QuickTime    Windows Media

Atlanta’s Chinese organizations came together on Oct. 1 for the first-ever community-wide gala to celebrate the 58th birthday of the People’s Republic of China and Delta Air Lines Inc.’s recently awarded nonstop flight from Atlanta to Shanghai. 

The National Association of Chinese Americans, Atlanta Chapter, the Association of Chinese Professionals and the Chinese Business Association of Atlanta each had representatives co-chairing the gala, which attracted more than 300 guests to the Crowne Plaza Ravinia Hotel on Ashford-Dunwoody Road. 

The gala, sponsored at the highest level by Delta and law firm Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC, was well-attended by state and local officials and organizations that have been instrumental in developing the strong ties between Georgia and China, and many urged the establishment of a Chinese consulate in Atlanta as the next stage in the blossoming relationship.  

“We are gathered here to support a petition to the Chinese government to establish a consulate here in Atlanta,” said Frank Zhou, a gala co-chair and president of the business association, a non-profit organization with about 350 active members. 

Guanming Fang, an attorney with Womble Carlyle, which played a key role in attracting Chinese company Sany Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. to Peachtree City, said that a consulate in Atlanta will be held up until the federal government decides that it wants another consulate in China.

“It’s a reciprocal procedure; the U.S. has to agree to open another office in China before we even have a chance to open a consular office in Atlanta,” she told GlobalAtlanta.

Qiao Hong, the Chinese consul general from Houston, spoke at the event during what was her fifth visit to Atlanta since she took the post in May.  She didn’t mention the petition for an Atlanta consulate, but she averages one trip to the Georgia capital per month, a high frequency for one city in a jurisdiction that covers eight states and Puerto Rico.   

She expressed her congratulations to Delta and talked about how political and economic relations have improved between the United States and China since formal diplomatic relations were established in 1979.  When she worked in Washington 27 years ago, trade between the countries was sparse, and such friendly relations didn’t exist, she said.

Echoing her remarks at a reception and dinner she attended in Atlanta in July, Ms. Qiao talked about Georgia’s hospitality and its integral place in the trade relationship between the U.S. and China.

“I am deeply impressed by the growing interest in my country,” she said, adding that she has been moved by the “goodwill of the people” in Georgia and the state’s great potential for economic growth.

Bilateral trade between China and the U.S. reached $262.6 billion in 2006—106 times the 1979 total—and China became Georgia’s third largest export market last year with more than $1 billion in exports to the rapidly developing Asian economy, she said.

Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle spoke about Georgia’s advantages and the prospects for continued cooperation between Georgia and China.

“We want to continue to be assured that in Georgia we welcome you here, and we believe that there is great opportunity in the free market,” he said, citing the logistical advantages of Georgia’s ports and airport.

Heidi Green, deputy commissioner for global commerce at the Georgia Department of Economic Development, read a declaration from Gov. Sonny Perdue recognizing Oct. 1 as Chinese National Day in Georgia.

Charlice Byrd, who was introduced as the only Asian-American in Georgia legislature, also took the podium to read a declaration, along with the youngest and oldest city councilmen, Kwanza Hall and Jim Maddox, respectively.

Julin Gu represented the Association of Chinese Professionals as chair of the gala, and Lani Wong also co-chaired the gala, representing the National Association of Chinese Americans.

An American-style steak dinner was supplemented by Chinese entertainment, featuring troupes of dancers in colorful garb and professionally trained musicians representing Chinese music schools in the Atlanta area.

Song Yang of the U.S.-China Cultural and Educational Foundation displayed his strong tenor voice with opera numbers in multiple languages.