Aims
It is the aim of the society, to support the understanding and the friendship between German
and Chinese people. For this purpose, the GCS endeavors to collect appropriate and
comprehensive information on Chinese culture, politics and economy.
Prejudices, stereotypes and misunderstanding should be disassembled and exchanged
by appropriate knowledge and judgement. As means to reach this purpose
it uses speeches, symposia and publications, but also for example
the mediatorship of institutional connections between schools or cities
and the encouragement of personal contacts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Welcome to the German China Association

History

The German China Association (GCA) was founded in 1957 and therefore is the oldest China-related association in Germany. The first purpose of the Association was to establish diplomatic relations between Germany and China, but the GCA is politically independent. The center of its activities in its first years was Hamburg. Today, most of its events take place in Cologne and Karlsruhe. However the Association is engaged all over the country. Together with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in 2015 it conducts the second international conference on the topic of "China's Way". In China it engages especially in the establishment of exchange programs for pupils and students. The GCA in its history welcomed as members the former Foreign Minister Genscher for several years, ambassadors like Dr. Hannspeter Hellbeck and Dr. Wolfgang Runge, as well as among others university professors interested in China.
Since 2018 the GCA is headed by Prof. Dr. phil. Martin Woesler (Witten, http://martin.woesler.de). Vice President is Mr. Xudong Wu. Further members of the Board are Dr. Alexander Bell (Köln), Dr. Thomas Weyrauch, Dr. Cord Eberspächer, Mr. Ulrich Schmitz (Karlsruhe) and Mr. Jochen Muhs. Honorary president is Prof. Dr. Gregor Paul, who served as president 1998-2017.
GCA is a state recognized non-profit and idealistic organization. Its board members work as volunteers. Its activities and publications are financed by donations and membership fees.
The GCA annually publishes its "Bulletin of the German China Association". Between 300 and 400 people receive it for free: University institutes, large libraries, sinologists and in general people interested in China. The board members also try to make the GCA's book publications available to as many institutions and interested people as possible for free.

Aims

The Society aims at fostering understanding and friendschip between Germans and Chinese. For this purpose, the GCA engages in acquiring and distributing significant and ample information on the Chinese culture, politics and economy. Prejudices, clishees and misunderstandings shall be reduced and replaced by scientifically-founded knowledge and opinions. Its means are lectures, conferences and publications, but also the establishment of institutional connections, e.g. between schools, cities, business and research entities as well as between indivdiuals (people to people dialogue).
The German China Association supports exchange between China and Germany and between China and the world, especially in the fields of culture, education, business and technology, including sustainable transport, know how transfer, joint research and cooperation.
Except from the exchange of people, the GCA regards its publications as the most important of its instruments to reach its goals, because they have a sustainable effect. Except from the mentioned yearbook, the "Bulletin", the following publications should be mentioned: the bilingual, commented edition of Leibniz' Novissima Sinica, The Human Rights question: Discussion on China - dialogue with China and Between Mao and Confucius.

Membership and Donations

GCA members receive the Bulletin for free. The board also tries to send book publications of the society for free.
The GCA is grateful for each new member. If someone wants to join, please fill in the respective application and send it to the Society.
The annual membership for pupils and students is 16 Euros, for other individuals 36 Euros, for couples 52 Euros and for companies and institutions 250 Euros. Everybody is welcome to donate more. The membership fees are due at the beginning of each calendar year.
Updated: July 2015

Webmaster (email) Last updated 083/03/1999 ver 1.03 Cambridge/Karlsruhe