U.S. Relations With the People's Republic of China (2008)

U.S. Department of State

Under Secretary Jeffery Presents 2008 Secretary of State's Awards for Corporate Excellence

Reuben Jeffery III, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs
Benjamin Franklin Room
Washington, DC
November 6, 2008

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

UNDER SECRETARY JEFFERY: Good morning, everybody. And all of you, thank you for taking time out to be with us here in the Ben Franklin Room to celebrate this year's award for Corporate Excellence. Secretary Rice deeply regrets that she's not able to be with you today; she's on international travel, one of the benefits or burdens – but benefits in her mind – of the job, to not necessarily always have control over her international travel schedule.

But this award is something to which she has been strongly committed over the course of her tenure as Secretary of State, as have her predecessors in the Secretary roles – Secretary's role over the past decade.

I see many friends and colleagues here in the room, too numerous to recognize, but I can't resist trying to recognize a couple. My predecessor, Under Secretary Al Larson, president of the organization OPIC Rob Mosbacher, president/chief executive officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation John Danilovich, Ambassador Craig Kelly, Jim Glassman, Under Secretary for Public Affairs and Diplomacy here at the State Department, and many, many others. And particularly those of you from the diplomatic community; I know we have the Deputy Chief of Mission from Colombia, from China here today. We're deeply grateful for your participation and those of your colleagues in today's events, and obviously, for those of you who are on the phone or the video in other locations listening in.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

UNDER SECRETARY JEFFERY: Good morning, everybody. And all of you, thank you for taking time out to be with us here in the Ben Franklin Room to celebrate this year's award for Corporate Excellence. Secretary Rice deeply regrets that she's not able to be with you today; she's on international travel, one of the benefits or burdens – but benefits in her mind – of the job, to not necessarily always have control over her international travel schedule.

But this award is something to which she has been strongly committed over the course of her tenure as Secretary of State, as have her predecessors in the Secretary roles – Secretary's role over the past decade.

I see many friends and colleagues here in the room, too numerous to recognize, but I can't resist trying to recognize a couple. My predecessor, Under Secretary Al Larson, president of the organization OPIC Rob Mosbacher, president/chief executive officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation John Danilovich, Ambassador Craig Kelly, Jim Glassman, Under Secretary for Public Affairs and Diplomacy here at the State Department, and many, many others. And particularly those of you from the diplomatic community; I know we have the Deputy Chief of Mission from Colombia, from China here today. We're deeply grateful for your participation and those of your colleagues in today's events, and obviously, for those of you who are on the phone or the video in other locations listening in.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

UNDER SECRETARY JEFFERY: Okay. Thank you very much for those remarks. Let us turn now, fast forward to the other side of the globe to Beijing: Ambassador Clark Randt and Norwell Coquillard, president of Cargill China.

AMBASSADOR RANDT: Thank you, Mr. Under Secretary. Can you hear us?

UNDER SECRETARY JEFFERY: Yes.

AMBASSADOR RANDT: Good. Okay. In fact, I'm not grumpy. (Laughter.) I'm personally delighted this evening here in Beijing that Cargill has been recognized for its outstanding commitment to corporate social responsibility in China. Cargill's philanthropic contributions and achievements in China speak for themselves. Over the years, Cargill and its employees have contributed their time, their expertise, and their financial resources to a wide variety of projects in China.

I'd also like to commend Cargill for the leading role it has played in the area of food safety. Cargill has been training rural communities, Chinese Government officials, academics, and business leaders about food safety for years. Cargill is ahead of the curve, bringing important new skills and practices to China. I am proud that Cargill, an American corporation, has shown leadership in setting new standards in China for corporate citizenship and philanthropy. Cargill has proved that CSR is not just a social obligation, but good business as well. Again, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Cargill. And now, I'd like to invite Mr. Norwell Coquillard, president of Cargill China, to speak.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

UNDER SECRETARY JEFFERY: Thank you very much, Ambassador Randt and Mr. Coquillard. We very much appreciate those remarks, and I think we can, with the permission of the Deputy Chief of Mission, give you the rest of the evening off – in a few moments, not quite yet.

Let me again thank our participants from Bogota, from Beijing, for being participants in today's meeting, and importantly, for all of the work you do in your respective countries every day working with your colleagues and our counterparties in Colombia and in China.

In conclusion, I just want to say simply that the ACE Awards really do – and I think you've seen it in the presentations today – reaffirm what is best about American business, American workers, and really the American spirit. The leadership of companies such as today's recipients, SURevolution, Cargill, those companies that have preceded them as winners of the ACE Award, has never been as important to the United States, to the well-being of the global economy, to the countries in which they have the opportunity to work and serve, as it is now. From sustainable global development to environmental stewardship, to improving health, education, and most importantly, creating jobs and economic opportunity, these companies have taken the high ground, and for that they deserve our heartfelt, sincere appreciation.

Thank you again, in closing, for your contributions today, in the past, and your continued contributions to the communities in which you serve and all of you for making the effort to be here today and as supporters of the ACE Award and everything that it stands for. Thank you all. (Applause.)

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