Gary Locke: “The More Turbulent U.S.-China Relations Are, the More Vital Dialogue Becomes”
Los Angeles, April 25, 2025 — The Committee of 100, a prominent organization dedicated to advocating for the civil rights of Chinese Americans and fostering constructive U.S.-China relations, held its 2025 Annual Conference in Los Angeles today. The event opened with welcoming remarks from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and featured over twenty panels addressing topics such as civil rights, leadership, and international diplomacy.
In his keynote address, Committee of 100 Chairman and former U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke emphasized that the mission of building bridges and promoting mutual understanding is especially crucial in times of heightened geopolitical tension.
“This mission is perhaps more important than ever before,” said Locke. “Given the turmoil in the tense relationship between the governments of the People’s Republic of China and the United States, and the impact it is having on Asian Americans—especially Chinese Americans throughout our society—our work takes on new urgency.”
Panel Highlights Concerns Over Renewed Targeting of Chinese Americans，Former NYPD Officer Baimadajie Angwang Speaks Out Against Injustice
Among the key speakers was Baimadajie Angwang, a former New York Police Department officer who was arrested in 2020 under the Trump-era “China Initiative,” accused of acting as an unregistered foreign agent. The charges were later dropped in 2023 due to insufficient evidence. Angwang, who is of Tibetan descent, criticized what he described as politically motivated accusations and the exploitation of his ethnicity to cast suspicion.
Growing Concerns of a “New China Initiative”
Speakers at the event expressed alarm at what they described as signs of a new wave of discriminatory actions targeting Chinese and Chinese American communities. Recent incidents include revoked student visas, FBI raids on Chinese American scholars such as Dr. Xiaofeng Wang, restrictions on property purchases by Chinese nationals, and increased surveillance of Chinese international students. Angwang revealed that he has filed a lawsuit for the damages caused by the unfounded accusations and urged the Asian American community to stand strong together.
“If I stay silent, they might use my case as precedent to keep treating others unfairly,” Angwang said. “The point is to send a clear message—not every Chinese American will sit quietly and accept injustice.”
