Xiao Wunan

Executive Vice Chairman, Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation
International Chairman, Religion and Cooperation Organization, United Nations
Vice Chairman, China Association of Social, Economic and Cultural Exchange

Mr. Xiao Wunan was born in Beijing in May 1964 and received a master’s degree and an honorary doctorate degree. He used to work in the Chinese government, the United Nations and financial institutions. He currently holds the following positions：

• Executive Vice Chairman, Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation
• International Chairman, Religion and Cooperation Organization, United Nations
• Vice Chairman, China Association of Social Economic and Cultural Exchange
• Senior Consultant, Oxford Economics, London
• Executive Director, the Board of the University of Haifa, Israel
• Senior Fellow, Claremont Graduate University, USA
• Visiting Professor, Dongguk University, South Korea
• Honorary Director, Research Center for Contemporary China, Peking University, China
• Senior Researcher, Center for US-China Relations, Tsinghua University, China
• Honorary Dean, Jianzhen Buddhism Institute, China

In recent years, Mr. Xiao Wunan played an essential role in strengthening diplomatic ties between China and Italy. He has maintained a long-term relationship with the Italian government, parliament and the Embassy in Beijing so as to enhance and improve exchanges and cooperation on all fronts, including political, cultural, economic and religious. For instance, Mr. Xiao met Federica Guidi, the Italian Minister of Economic Development, to jointly promote the "2015 Milan World Expo" in China; Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi attended the China-Italy Economic and Trade Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the afternoon of June 11, 2014 during which China’s Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng and Italian Minister of Economic Development Federica Guidi witnessed the signing of an agreement to launch the China-Italy Center. The center aims to build a platform for bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation and a mechanism for dialogue. The platform and mechanism will be multi-level, multi-sector and three dimensional, covering politics, the economy and trade, culture and youth exchange. This opens a new chapter in bilateral relations. Mr. Xiao visited Rome at the invitation of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development on October 1st, 2014. He met Mr. Carlo Calenda, Vice Minister of Economic Development, for constructive talks to push forward China-Italy bilateral economic and trade relations. Furthermore, Mr. Xiao with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi attended the “China-Italy Entrepreneurs Cooperation” conference in the Barr Bellini Palace in Rome. Ministers of both countries attended the “China-Italy Science and Technology Innovation Forum” at Politecnico di Milano, witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding to set up a China-Italy Fund.

Mr. Xiao has been awarded the “Outstanding Young Talent Award” by the Youth League of China, top honor for “Promoting love in society and supporting the flowering of literature” by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and “Honorary Citizen of Outstanding Chinese People" by the U.S. government. Other awards included the U.S. Congressional Award and a variety of local government awards from the United States, Honorary Ambassador of the College France Foundation, the Outstanding Chinese Global Award from institutions like the World Chinese Association and others, “Cultural Ambassador of Global Peace” from UNESCO, peace prize of “Upholding Human Future” from the United Nations, “ICCC Citizen of the World” from UN Habitat and other institutions, etc. In 2014, he received a decoration from Mr. Terenzi, the head of state of the Republic of San Marino. In 2015, he was awarded by the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs of the United States House of Representatives, in recognition of his contribution to world peace; meanwhile, U.S. California Government and Congress awarded him because of his dedication to the Sino-US relations.

US Senator Mitch McConnell (Left) and Mr. Xiao Wunan (Right)

In addition, Mr. Xiao also served as a member of the editorial board for the White Paper on Foreign Trade of China and a series regarding entry into the WTO, and chief editor of the Canon of Scenic Chinese Buddhist Temples, the book Classical Chinese Buddhist Figures. His works have been collected as important literature by several institutions including the American Congress, Stanford University of the United States, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, etc. And a large number of his academic articles and comments were published by authoritative media worldwide.