DATE: 7-9 p.m. April 17, 2008.

EVENT: The public is invited to attend and participate in a China Town Hall, a forum for exploring the political and economic scope of China today. Organized by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, this is a national day of programming involving 40 cities throughout the United States.

Each participating city will carry a live webcast from Washington D.C. aired at a designated local venue. In Ann Arbor, the webcast will be hosted at the University of Michigan Alumni Center.

The program will open with the live webcast featuring Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute who will discuss how China figures as an issue in the 2008 presidential and congressional elections. Moderator Stephen Orlins, National Committee president, will moderate this 45-minute portion of the program, comprised of a 15-minute talk and 30 minutes for Ornstein to respond to questions e-mailed in from audience members throughout the country.

Questions at Alumni Center can be submitted through a central question kiosk at the center.

Following this national portion of the program, the Alumni Center will have on-site specialists from U-M faculty?professor Kenneth Lieberthal, former Asia Director on President Clinton’s National Security Council, with professors Mary Gallagher and Nicholas Howson?present a panel discussion followed by Q&A.

This is the culminating event for the U-M College China Theme Year.

PLACE: U-M Alumni Center, 200 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor.

SPONSORS: The U-M Center for Chinese Studies and the U-M Alumni Association.