On Thursday, November 2, more than 300 global leaders from culture, business, and fashion will gather at Cipriani 25 Broadway to celebrate the achievements of China Institute at its annual Blue Cloud Gala. The celebration will take place in the elegant and decorative Cunard Building in Lower Manhattan and will center on the Institute’s ongoing commitment to advancing understanding and deepening trust between China and the U.S.

This year’s gala will honor five outstanding individuals with the Institute’s annual Blue Cloud Award: Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York State; Ronald O. Perelman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MacAndrews & Forbes Incorporated; Vera Wang, the prominent bridal wear designer; Ning Yuan, Chairman and President of China Construction America; and Robert Hong Xiao, Chief Executive Officer of Perfect World Co., Ltd. The Blue Cloud Award is presented to these remarkable individuals who have strengthened the bonds between the United States and China and exemplify the spirit and values of China Institute. The event will be emceed by China Institute trustees Yue-Sai Kan, the Emmy winning television host and producer; and Mei He, a recipient of the Eisenhower Foundation International Leadership Award. Hainan Airlines will be celebrating the launch of its Panda Express routes to Chengdu and Chongqing at the Gala.

The highly acclaimed Tibetan trio “Snow Lotus Trio” will entertain the Blue Cloud Gala dinner honorees and guests. The Snow Lotus Trio is a music ensemble consisting of three sisters from Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in China: Rhywosi-man, Hasi-man, and Kersi-man. They have performed on the nation’s most prestigious stages, including the closing ceremony of the Shanghai Special Olympics. The sisters bring their ethnic cultural heritage to the global stage with compelling performances featuring traditional costumes, dancing, and singing as they blend the timelessness of the beautiful Tibetan countryside with a contemporary aesthetic.

The gala benefits China Institute’s programs in education, arts and culture, and business. At a time of increasingly complex U.S.-China relations, China Institute is building bridges, promoting U.S.-China cross-cultural understanding, and driving a critically important dialogue about the new China. China Institute offers programs that respond to a changing world and present the full diversity of China’s past, present and future to a new generation of global citizens. “HNA proudly sponsors this year’s Blue Cloud Gala as HNA and China Institute continue to passionately play very important roles bridging the US and China. We identify strongly with the Institute’s mission to strengthen cross-cultural dialogue through programs in art, culture, education and business.” said Guang Yang, CEO of HNA Capital International.”

“This year we celebrate China Institute’s 91st anniversary and our tremendous progress since relocating to 100 Washington Street in Lower Manhattan” notes James Heimowitz, president of the China Institute. “With a reinvigorated mission and expanded vision, China Institute is building out its new headquarters and reaching a more broad based audience through programs in education, culture and business that offer a deeper and more nuanced insight into China.

About the Honorees:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Andrew M. Cuomo is the 56th Governor of New York State, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. The Governor has a lifelong commitment to public service and the proven leadership skills to make government work for the people of the state. Throughout his time as Governor, Andrew Cuomo has been working to make communities across the state stronger and safer for all New Yorkers. This includes restoring New York’s reputation as the progressive capital of the nation – with groundbreaking accomplishments like passing marriage equality, a $15 statewide minimum wage, and 12 weeks of paid family leave. The Governor also worked to enact the strongest gun safety laws in the nation, implement comprehensive policies to combat sexual violence on college campuses, pass reforms to combat New York’s heroin and opioid epidemic, and set forth a plan to end the AIDS epidemic in New York State by 2020.

Ronald O. Perelman
Ronald O. Perelman is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MacAndrews & Forbes, Incorporated, an enterprise with interests in a diversified portfolio of public and private companies. MacAndrews & Forbes’ businesses span a wide range of industries, from global leaders in cosmetics and digital entertainment to biotechnology and military equipment. Over the past four decades, Mr. Perelman has become renowned and highly respected as an accomplished industrialist, innovative leader and generous philanthropist.

Vera Wang
Vera Wang has created aspirational work that alludes to sensuality and youthful sophistication. Exquisite detail, intricate draping, and a nonchalant sense of style characterize the Vera Wang aesthetic. By the age of 23, she was the youngest Vogue fashion editor and stylist ever, where she remained for 16 years before moving to Ralph Lauren as a design director. In 1990, Ms. Wang opened her first flagship store on Manhattan’s famed Madison Avenue, introducing to the bridal industry fashion with revolutionary designs and refined detailing.

Ning Yuan
Ning Yuan, Chairman and President of China Construction America (CCA), CSCEC’s largest overseas subsidiary, is a veteran in international construction and investment. Under his leadership, CCA has successfully transformed from a small local contractor to a respected multinational company in the Americas. With more than 98% of its employees hired locally, CCA has maintained an average annual growth rate of over 40% in the last decade. Mr. Yuan is an adamant supporter of a healthy and comprehensive China-US relationship, having made significant contributions to bilateral economic exchanges.

Robert Hong Xiao
Dr. Robert H. Xiao is now vice chairman of Perfect World Investment & Holding Group and CEO of Perfect World Co., Ltd. Under his leadership, Perfect World has become the largest movie and game conglomerate ever in China and an example of cross-culture exchange for cultural and creative enterprises. In the film and TV industry, Perfect World Pictures filmed many award-winning movies, and produces around 500 episodes of TV series every year which accounts for over 10% of prime time TV in China. For game sector, Perfect World Games has exported its products to more than 100 countries and regions and has set up more than 20 wholly-owned subsidiaries in North America, Europe and Asia to operate its games.

Dr. Xiao also served as vice chairman of the B20 China Business Council, director of the board of the APEC China Business Council, and director of the board of the National Committee of United States-China Relations. Given his contributions, Dr. Xiao was invited to the second plenary meeting of the third session of the 12th CPPCC National Committee in 2015.