By Hu Chunliang

It was in the 1970s that the table tennis ball opened a door for normal exchanges between United States and China again. 2009 marks 30 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China. The 30 years have seen the two countries create hopes and encounter challenges. 2009 also witnesses artists of the two countries create eight sculptures in commemoration of the 30-year ties.

“China-US Peace and Friendship Sculptures Program” is jointly sponsored by the Beijing Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Nanhai District of Foshan City in Guangdong Province, United Chinese Alumni Associations in Capital Region, the Association of Chinese Professionals in Atlanta, and the American-China Sculpture Center.

On October 25, “A Tree of Peace”, a bronze sculpture created by Chinese artist Han Meilin, was unveiled on the campus of University of Maryland, one of the oldest universities in America. A ceremony was held to unveil the bronze statue. A Chinese delegation of 30 people attended the ceremony.

On October 26, a sculpture created by Pan He, a prominent Chinese sculptor, was unveiled in the International Sculpture Park in New Jersey. On 29, 2009,

“The Same Words”, a Chinese sculpture created by Zou Wen, a sculpture and art professor with Tsinghua University, was installed in Atlanta, Georgia, the home state of former US president Jimmy Carter. “Peace” and “Friendship” are engraved on the sculpture in Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Arabic in the shape of ribbons flying from the four corners of the earth, which are attached on the top of the pyramid.

The engraving on the sculpture reads “We cast peace and friendship, the most desired and cherished words of mankind, into this sculpture as a present to the hometown of President Jimmy Carter from thousands of miles away, China. This sculpture is to commemorate the 30th anniversary of establishment of formal diplomatic relations between China and the United States, which symbolizes the sincere hopes and best wishes of Chinese people for lasting peace and friendship between our two countries.”

“Lantern”, a stainless steel structure created by Ye Yushan, will be erected in Topeka, the capital city of the US state of Kansas. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for the spring of 2010.

Four sculptures from America are creations by prominent American artists. Kwan Wu, a Chinese American sculptor, created “Friendship Gate”. The 4-meter-tall bronze will be erected at the entrance to the International Sculpture Park in Nanhai, his hometown in Guangdong Province.

“Conversation”, a bronze by J. Seward Johnson, a prominent American sculptor and founder of the International Sculpture Park in New Jersey, depicts two old women sitting on a bench and chatting serenely. It will be installed in Shanghai.

Professor Elden C Tefft, a famed sculptor and honorary president of the International Sculpture Association and tenured professor with Kansas State University, created a sculpture which will be installed in Beijing. Another prominent American sculptor Zeon created a sculpture for Guilin, a picturesque tourism city in southwestern China.

The China-US sculpture program owes its success to the endeavors of many people in America and China. Many cities have strict rules about the installation of urban sculptures. American artists need to go through very difficult procedures before they are approved to install their creations in the capital region or on college campuses. The people from the United Chinese Alumni Associations in the capital region and the Chinese Professional Association in Atlanta canvassed enthusiastically to get the program started. Kwan Wu won the recognition and support of the International Sculpture Park in New Jersey. With his involvement, American sculptors got engaged. Americans in China are also actively engaged. Robert Goldberg, US Consul General in Guangzhou, and Harley Seyedin, the American Chamber of Commerce in South China, have played a key part in promoting this program.

The four sculptures created by American were produced in China. The manufacturers in Beijing and Shanxi charged a symbolic fee, shouldering a large part of costs as their contribution to the program.

Kwan Wu defines the sculpture program as a people-to-people diplomatic event and compares it to the pingpong diplomatic initiative that led to the establishment of diplomatic relations between US and China 30 years ago. He says that the sculpture diplomacy is symbolic and commemorative and that it substantiates the ties between the two countries. It is a new chapter in the history of China and US ties. □