April 2021 Newsletter
April Showers Bring May Flowers

Image of daffodils 水仙花 by Shingmoa Yeuanfen on Wikimedia
A common appreciation for spring rebirth
In the Chinese tradition, businesspeople and government officials were expected to know many literary allusions, as Chinese literature and philosophy was the basis of the imperial exams that qualified individuals for the civil service.

Below are two literary pieces that show how spring is a time of renewal and growth for everyone [living in a temperate climate], regardless of ethnicity, race, or language.


Deep in Spring, the Rain's Passed, by Ouyang Xiu
欧阳修《春深雨过西湖好》

春深雨过西湖好
Deep in spring, the rain's passed - West Lake is good,
百卉争妍
A hundred grasses vie in beauty,
蝶乱蜂喧
Confusion of butterflies, clamor of bees,
晴日催花暖欲然
The clear day hurries the blossom to burst forth in the warmth.
Translation from Chinesepoems.com


Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer

Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
When April with its sweet-smelling showers

The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
Has pierced the drought of March to the root,

And bathed every veyne in swich licour
And bathed every vein (of the plants) in such liquid

Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
By the power of which the flower is created
Translation from Harvard University; click the link to hear this read with it's original Middle English pronunciation.
In this issue of the Greater Columbus Chinese Chamber of Commerce newsletter, you will find the following:

  • Chinese Chamber Member Spotlight: OneColumbus

  • Chinese Chamber Member News

  • Chinese Chamber News

  • Community News

  • Past Events

  • Upcoming Chinese Chamber (in bold) and partner events (in italics):

  • April 29, A Conversation about the Myth of Chinese Capitalism, US Heartland China Association

  • April 29, The Uncertain Future of US-China Trade, America-China Society of Indiana

  • April 29, TradeInsights, TN*China Network

  • May 5, FoodExport Helpline, Ohio Development Services Agency

  • May 12, Resources for Central Ohio Exporters
Member Spotlight
One Columbus is the economic development organization for the 11-county Columbus Region.

Working with local and state partners, One Columbus serves as the business location resource for companies across Central Ohio and around the world as they grow, innovate, and compete within the global economy.

Their experienced team has worked with hundreds of companies and helped to secure over $10 billion of capital investment, over 50,000 direct jobs, and more than $2 billion of new payroll across the Columbus Region.

If you know an overseas company considering opening an operation in the US, put them in touch with One Columbus!
Chinese Chamber member Spectrum Reach is fully committed to helping businesses in our communities continue to recover.

This spring, they will “pay it forward” by offering a 20% inventory match to accelerate the impact of our customers’ advertising schedules.

Not only will customers receive a 20% inventory match but they will also have access to a FREE commercial. Click here or the banner above to learn more.
Member News
PNC Bank's international banking section provides many useful services, including country/region advising, foreign exchange, international cash management, international financing, international trade services, and "on-the-ground support."
On their international services page, you will also find useful articles, such as this one on "Navigating China's Regulations on Foreign Exchange Goods Trade."
Morrison Medical was recently featured in a news story about everything EMS – past, present and future. Managing Partner Kevin Jeffers shared how the company got its start with just two simple inventions. He then discussed how things have changed since then and what’s ahead for the firm.

As always, Morrison Medical appreciates the wonderful long-term customers who have been a bedrock of success. For those in the EMS field, Morrison Medical appreciates serving you with safe, dependable products when you need them the most.

To read the news story please click here.
KMB Productions is looking for a New Media Assistant 
 
KMB Productions focuses on educational media content facing particular language educators in China. Currently our video content reaches 150,000 viewers, mainly English teaching professionals and language learners. 

We are looking for a New Media Assistant who is bilingual in Chinese and English. 

Come and join our creative team dedicated to bridge cultures by teaching the teachers!
  
Responsibilities 
 
  • On-site video shooting assistant: help arrange the studio before shooting, note taking during the production, share editing notes with the team afterwards. 
  • Visual aide production: produce PowerPoint files, PDF handouts, video captions or subtitles to better facilitate the international audience. 
  • Organize media files: prepare media files ready for chief editor to work on, facilitate large video file online transmission. 
  • Collect viewer feedback. 
  • Production of other teaching materials in PDF form. 
 
Requirements
 
  • An eager helper and quick responder. 
  • A great organizer: have a good way of organizing, labeling, and keeping track of multiple projects.  
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in both Chinese and English. 
  • Basic knowledge of video shooting. Knowledge of lighting is a plus.
  • Basic video editing skills. Short video editing skills a plus.
  • Familiar with word processing software. Skills in visual design are a plus. 
  • Able to work in Columbus, OH, preferably 20 hours/week with a minimum of 10 hours/week in our Easton office.
 
Interested applicants, please send us your resume to Ms. Mian Cui at miancui929@gmail.com.
If your company is preparing to export to the Chinese-speaking world (China, Taiwan, Singapore, ethnic Chinese communities in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and elsewhere), consider applying for a state IMAGE grant.

IMAGE grants will reimburse part of your translation, interpretation, travel, and other internationalization expenses. To learn more, visit ODSA's website and attend the Chinese Chamber's May 12th event, "Resources for Central Ohio Exporters."

Then... contact SinoConnect for your localization needs. Their experienced team can help you get ready to sell to Chinese-speaking customers, and many of our services qualify for partial reimbursement through an IMAGE grant.

Chinese Chamber News
Chinese Chamber Celebrates Earth Day 2021 with member National East Asian Language Resource Center at OSU and Wuhan University
The Chinese Chamber was proud to co-emcee an online event on April 23rd celebrating Earth Day and the 40th anniversary of friendly cooperation between OSU and Wuhan University.

The event, co-organized by Chinese Chamber member National East Asian Language Resource Center (NEALRC) at The Ohio State University, and Wuhan University featured executive-level leaders from both universities, as well as faculty and students in environmental science.

A key driver in the project was Dr. Minru Li in the NEALRC, assisted by Joey Smith, graduate of the OSU Chinese Flagship program at OSU.

Pictured in the event screenshot at left above is Professor Galal Walker, director of the NEALRC.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced that it is providing 22,000 extra H2B visas this year. The full release can be found here.

· If you are interested in learning about the economic impact of H-2B visas, please check out this report from New American Economy (NAE). The report can be found here

· Of those 22,000 additional visas, 6,000 of those additional visas will be set aside for applicants from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, which together are sending the largest numbers of migrant families and children to the U.S. border seeking asylum.

If you are interested in participating in future OBIS events/discussions, please feel free to reach out to the Chinese Chamber or to OBIS directly.
Community News
Research by OSU Professor Attracts Significant Investment
Photo: Ohio State University

"A biotechnology company based on research created at The Ohio State University announced $116 million in new investment [the first week of April, 2021].

Entrada Therapeutics Inc., a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to treating diseases by delivering drugs into target cells, said the investment will support treatment of multiple neuromuscular diseases, led by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

The company was co-founded by Dehua Pei, Charles H. Kimberly Professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Ohio State. When it was founded, Entrada raised $59 million from investors, the largest amount raised in the initial round of financing for an Ohio State startup.

Pei and his research team have developed an approach to treating so-called “undruggable” diseases. Approximately 80% of all drug targets are out of the reach of current drug development approaches and are termed “undruggable” by the drug discovery community."

Accomplishments of people like Professor Pei highlight how the Chinese-American community in Central Ohio is an integral part of our ethnic tapestry.
US Heartland China Association Seeks Summer Communications Intern
The United States Heartland China Association (USHCA) is a growing 501(C)3 bipartisan organization that is dedicated to building stronger ties between the 20 states in the heartland region of the United States and the People’s Republic of China. USHCA’s efforts are concentrated on building trust among government officials, business leaders, and educational and community interests in the US and China.

The USHCA virtual summer internship program runs approximately 12 weeks from May to August. The Communications Intern will get an inside look at how nonprofit organizations work and learn concrete, transferable skills that you can take with you into the future. Your main job is to help tell the USHCA stories to our members, partners and any other external audiences. You’ll be writing, researching, managing social media, and working collaboratively with team members on a wide range of projects.

Download the complete job posting and application instructions here.
Recent Chinese Chamber Events
April 21, 2021 China Policy & Business Webinar
The Greater Cleveland Chinese Chamber of Commerce, America-China Society of Indiana, and the Columbus Chinese Chamber teamed up to invite a distinguished panel of speakers to describe China's new Five Year Plan, recent changes to laws regarding foreign trade and investment, and offer their insights on what they mean for US business.

Kim Kirkendall, President of International Resource Development, Inc. in Cleveland gave a brief overview of China's five year plans, as well as the new one, the 14th Five Year Plan.

John Holden, Senior Director at McLarty Associates, described the strategic goals implied by the 14th FYP, as well as macro-level issues facing China and the US.

Sunny Yang, Attorney at Porter Wright, provided a deep-dive on changes in foreign investment laws in China.

The speakers' slide decks can be found in the members-only section of the Chinese Chamber website. For your member password, please contact executive director Pat McAloon.

Upcoming Chinese Chamber Events
May 12, 2021 10am ET
Resources for Central Ohio Exporters
Are you thinking about exporting products or services? Are you already doing so, but not sure if you know about all the local resources available to you to maximize your sales and minimize your risks?

Be sure to attend our May event in which these local experts will share resources and tips for starting and expanding overseas sales, including services and grants available to exporters:

  • Darren Srebnick, US Commerce Service

  • Alex Kohls, US Small Business Administration

  • Roberta Winch, Ohio Small Business Development Center (Chinese Chamber member)

  • Steve Renaker, Global Recovery Group (affiliate of Chinese Chamber member Mid-American Global Ventures)

This one-hour event is free for all attendees, and will be followed by 30 minutes of networking in virtual breakout rooms.
Upcoming Partner Events
April 29, 2021 10am ET
TradeInsights with V. Alexander & Co.
Businesses have experienced a very challenging year. While looking ahead to the next twelve months, TradeInsights of TN*China Network member V. Alexander & Co. will be sharing some important information on importing.

Topics in this free event will include establishing written procedures, custom compliance improvements, and duty savings.
April 29, 2021 1pm ET
The Uncertain Future of US-China Trade: A View from the States
U.S. states are where the rubber meets the road when it comes to US trade policy. What distinguishes state-level policies from the national narrative? How can states continue attracting investment when there is increasing tension at the national level? 

To understand these topics, this webinar will specifically focus on Indiana, and an important Indiana-based company in a highly strategic industry, Rare Earth Materials. 

If you are interested in these topics, then join Christopher Marquis, Cornell professor and host of the China Corner Office Podcast, for a live Webinar recording featuring guests, Craig Allen, President of the US-China Business Council (USCBC), Colin Renk America China Society of Indiana and Mitchell Spencer founder of Indiana-based Polaris Rare Earth Materials.

This event is free.
April 29, 2021 6pm ET
A Conversation About "The Myth of Chinese Capitalism"
In this first installment of the USHCA's author series, award-winning journalist Dexter Roberts will discuss his new book “The Myth of Chinese Capitalism: The Worker, the Factory, and the Future of the World” with guest interviewer Professor Zhiguo He from the University of Chicago.

This event is free.
May 5, 2021 9am ET
Best Practices to Start Exporting
Join the Ohio Development Services Agency (OSDA) & Food Export-Midwest to learn valuable insights, skills and requirements for exporting your company's processed food, beverage, or agricultural products.

After attending this event, join the Chinese Chamber's "Resources for Central Ohio Exporters" event on May 12th.

Then, check out the services of Chinese Chamber members like SinoConnect, Columbus School of Chinese and D-Terra when you apply for your state IMAGE grant for translation, interpretation, and other services!
Chinese Chamber Members
Click below to visit our members page, where you can click through to any member's website.
Keep up with news and events by following our LinkedIn
The Chinese Chamber regularly posts news and events that may be of interest to people on our mailing list. Follow us today!