Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Gao Zhansheng recently spoke at the opening of the Wing of the Phoenix: Fengshan Ho and the Rescue of Austrian Jews 1938-1940 exhibit at the Chinese Historical Society of America in the city.

"A superior man in dealing with the world is not for anything or against anything. He follows righteousness as the standard," Gao quoted Confucius saying as he began his June 7 remarks. "Dr Ho was precisely a man who always followed righteousness and conscience." The consul general said Ho was one of many Chinese "who rescued Jews at great personal risk and sacrifice during World War II and never sought recognition. His heroic deeds are a demonstration of selfless humanitarianism and the compassionate nature of the Chinese people. The Jewish people, likewise, extended a helping hand to the Chinese people in China's War of Resistance against Japan's invasion in the 1930s and 40s."

Gao noted that 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Israel. "The past 20 years have witnessed rapid growth of China-Israel relations. I sincerely hope that China and Israel continue their close engagement and cooperation for the next 20 years and beyond."

Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren, Israeli Consul General for the Pacific Northwest region Akiva Tor, the Director of the American Jewish Committee Mervyn Danker and other guests also paid tribute to the courageous Chinese diplomat who rescued thousands of Jews from the Holocaust during World War II by issuing Chinese visas despite seemingly impossible odds.

Manli Ho, Fengshan Ho's daughter, made a special presentation about her father's heroic deeds.

The exhibit is one of the events in the month-long Israel-China Cultural Festival launched by the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest, in cooperation with Jewish community organizations and partners in the San Francisco Chinese-American community.

At a celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Confucius Institute at Portland State University's this month, five new Confucius Classrooms were opened at the university. The Consul General in San Franscisco Gao Zhansheng attended the ceremony and congratulated the participants.

(China Daily 06/22/2012 page23)