Knox College to Host Chinese Ambassador to U.S.

GALESBURG ? His Excellency Zhou Wenzhong, Ambassador to the United States from the People's Republic of China, will deliver Knox College's 2007 Caterpillar Distinguished Lecture in Global Affairs on May 7, 2007. The lecture will be held in Kresge Recital Hall in the Ford Center for Fine Arts at 8 p.m., and is free and open to the public.

"This is a terrific opportunity for all students at Knox, especially those participating in our new program in Asian Studies," explains Michael Schneider, co-director of the Knox College Center for Global Studies and associate professor of history. "Ambassador Zhou can share the unique perspective of one who has had an active role in the diplomatic efforts during a period of remarkable change in China's foreign relations."

Ambassador Zhou, who attended the University of Bath and the London School of Economics, has held numerous diplomatic appointments during his 35-year career, including nearly 20 years in various posts in the United States. He has served as ambassador to Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and ambassador to Australia.

"Unquestionably, the United States' deepening relations with China, exemplified by Caterpillar, Inc.'s expanding activity there, will profoundly shape U.S. foreign policy, the U.S. economy, and many other areas of life in the U.S. for decades," Schneider adds.

A native of Jiangsu Province, Ambassador Zhou is officially deemed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for the People's Republic of China to the United States.

The Caterpillar Distinguished Lecture Series was founded in 2003 through a grant from the Caterpillar Foundation to fund public lectures at Knox by renowned experts in global affairs. Ambassador Zhou is the third Caterpillar Distinguished Lecturer. Previous Caterpillar Distinguished Lecturers have been George Mitchell, former United States Senator, and Richard Longworth, executive director of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Founded in 1837, Knox is a national liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, with students from 45 states and 44 nations. Knox's "Old Main" is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.