2010-01-13 | New York Social Diary
Yue-Sai appears regularly on David Patrick Columbia's "New York Social Diary". Lately DPC wrote about a dinner at Yue-Sai's house. Here is an excerpt.
"Last night I was invited to a small dinner (18) at Yue-Sai Kan's. We met eight years ago when JH and I went to interview her in her Sutton Place townhouse. That was a moment when modern China was growing expansively in the minds of Americans. It was the New Frontier of Capitalism and Industry. Since then the world has witnessed an amazing transformation long time in developing, of course.
Brought up in the era of the great Cold War, with a harsher political opinion and policy toward China, the current public attitude toward China has been transformed radically too. We are all part of it.
So when I met Yue-Sai I remember being amazed and impressed that a Chinese woman, living in America, in New York, could have created such a successful American-style brand with herself in her native land and integrated it into an American life. The story is a political and historical one, although right now its being recognized as enterprise and entrepreneurship. Yue-Sai is, if nothing else, an entrepreneur, but history will clarify: a pioneer.
Yue-Sai often entertains friends and acquaintances with cocktails and a pleasant dinner (the dishes are Chinese created by her Chinese chef). She has an effusive outgoing personality and is very warm with her guests. There is a lot of conversation around the long table in her dining room.
Her life is divided between here and Shanghai. Because of her professional history, she was the most famous modern Chinese womans face to hundreds of millions. She is by dint of her position an ambassador de facto in Sino-American relations. And a good example. When you hear her talk about China, and the Chinese people, you hear about a different point of view about the world, a more optimistic one also.
This year the Chinese are holding Expo 2010, opening May 1 to October 31st. They expect 200 countries and corporations participating, and 70 million visitors expected. Yue-Sai is currently involved in making a video for China Central Television (with an audience of 500 million), marking the opening of Expo 2010, and the great progress the Americans and the Chinese have made in strengthening our relationship. The production will feature performances by American and Chinese musicians and entertainers. Last night Yue-Sai emphasized how historical this is, how attitudes have changed on both sides, and for the better..."
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