An Interchange of Knowledge and Ideas Emerges at UCLA Business Conference.

LOS ANGELES -- China's emergence as an economic superpower is creating an historic opportunity to expand collaborations between Chinese and American business entrepreneurs. A two-day conference at the UCLA Anderson School of Management provided a forum where just such collaborations took shape.

"The conference is an opportunity for individuals from the U.S. and China to engage in discussions that expand and inform the economic and political dialogue between the two regions," says Wilbur K. Woo, vice chairman emeritus of Cathay General Bancorp and a major figure in Los Angeles business, political, cultural and charitable activities.

Mr. Woo has endowed the annual Wilbur K. Woo Greater China Business Conference at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, to promote understanding of economic ties between China and the United States. Woo, who was born in China in 1916, received a bachelor's degree in business administration from UCLA.

This year's conference, held February 1 and 2, was entitled "Entrepreneurial Spirit - Pacific Vision" and focused on the economic nexus between the U.S. and Greater China, through the lens of entrepreneurship.

"The Greater China region is fast becoming one of the most influential forces in today's global economy, and entrepreneurial enterprise is central to its continued economic growth," says Judy D. Olian, dean of the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Olian, who traveled to China last year, is exploring cooperative ventures with Chinese educational institutions and businesses to enrich MBA studies here and in China.

Sponsored by Cathay General Bancorp and presented in association with the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and the UCLA Anderson Center for International Business Education & Research (CIBER), the conference was organized through a joint effort by UCLA Anderson and the UCLA Anderson Greater China Business Association. The conference addressed four sectors which are key drivers of growth, both in the California region and Greater China, including real estate, finance/venture capital, sports/entertainment, and technology/media.

Conference keynote speakers included:

* Dr. Robert Lawrence Kuhn, senior advisor with Citigroup Investment Banking and a senior partner with the leading sports, media and entertainment company IMG, China. Dr. Kuhn, who has extensive business experience in China, analyzed the evolution of the Chinese economy.

* Yibing Wu, chief transformation officer, Lenovo. He addressed business merger challenges and opportunities between China and the U.S.

* Qun Wang, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Pearl River Investment, one of China's most successful private enterprises. Wang, who discussed real estate growth in China, built Pearl River into one of the nation's leading real estate development companies.

* Leo Abruzzese, editorial director and director of financial services for the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a leading provider of country, industry and management analysis for the world's business community. Abruzzese presented a global outlook report on China.

Business leaders, academics and top MBA students were among the conference participants. A workshop on building a career in China was also offered to students.

For more information about The Wilbur K. Woo Greater China Business Conference please visit http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x15908.xml or call [phone].

About UCLA Anderson School of Management

UCLA Anderson School of Management, established in 1935, is regarded among the very best business schools in the world. UCLA Anderson faculty are ranked #1 in "Intellectual Capital" by BusinessWeek and are renowned for their teaching excellence and research in advancing management thinking. Each year, UCLA Anderson provides management education to more than 1,600 students enrolled in MBA, Executive MBA, Fully-Employed MBA and doctoral programs, and to more than 2,000 professional managers through executive education programs. Combining highly selective admissions, varied and innovative learning programs, and a world-wide network of 35,000 alumni, UCLA Anderson develops and prepares global leaders.