RED CROSS Chinese chapters cultivate area ties

Mahoning Chapter and Qingdao officials first met two years ago.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR HEALTH WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning and Shenango valleys served as the backdrop for a visit this week by a delegation of Chinese Red Cross workers.
There has been a growing relationship between the Mahoning County Chapter of the American Red Cross and its sister chapter in China, the Red Cross Society of China's Qingdao Branch in Shandong Province.
Dr. Xinbao Zhang, director of RCSC's Seventh Council and vice president of its Shandong Branch, is leader of a 11-person delegation from the Shandong and Qingdao branches visiting the Mahoning Chapter. A Red Cross branch in China is similar to a chapter here.
The Chinese arrived Tuesday night and are scheduled to leave Sunday.
During its stay, the delegation toured numerous Mahoning and Shenango valley sites and received the ceremonial key to the city from Youngstown Mayor George McKelvey. The members also received a proclamation of welcome from Youngstown City Council presented by Artis Gillam Sr., D-1st, who serves on the Mahoning Chapter board.
The delegation toured the Red Cross Mahoning and Cleveland chapters. On Friday, members visited Youngstown State University, the Butler Museum of American Art and Arms Family Museum of Local History. Today, it was scheduled to visit the August Wendell Forge factory in Grove City, Pa.
Initial meeting
Mahoning Chapter and Qingdao officials first met two years ago, through the auspices of Florence Wang, a Taiwanese native, who was then chairwoman of the Mahoning Chapter's board of directors.
"The relationship with our sister chapter in Qingdao is primarily intended to be a cultural exchange benefiting both our chapters," said Thomas E. Will, Mahoning Chapter board chairman.
Also, Will said, China is in the process of opening up its markets to be more like the West and recently gained status in the World Trade Organization, alluding to the potential for economic exchange.
In addition, the relationship provides an opportunity to share best practices. For instance, the RCSC is in the process of changing its funding source from government to private.
To that end, Wang presented a workshop in China on fund raising, volunteer recruitment and other topics. A CD of that workshop is now being used as a training tool in all the RCSC branches, Zhang said.
Wang, an American Red Cross board member, was the interpreter for an interview with Zhang on Friday at YSU.
Delegate's perspectives
Zhang thinks the United States is a little difficult to deal with on a diplomatic level because the government changes with each election.
On this and other occasions when he has visited the United States, however, he said he has found its people friendly and open. He thanked the Mahoning Chapter for its warm welcome.
Zhang noted that the 2008 Olympics will be in Beijing, China's capital, and he invited Americans to visit his country.
There should be a long friendship between China and America, he said.
alcorn@vindy.com