Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/519582
t m c » p u l s e | j u n e 2 0 1 5 5 O n the morning of May 12, the pitch-perfect voices of the Texas A&M University Singing Cadets filled the Phantom Ballroom at Houston's Hotel ZaZa with the sound of the National Anthem of the People's Republic of China. The serenade was immediately followed by the Star-Spangled Banner, thus formally commencing the opening ceremony for the 6th George H.W. Bush China-U.S. Relations Conference, which took place at the hotel over the course of three days. Hosted by Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) and Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and co-hosted by Peking University Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, and the Texas Medical Center, the confer- ence was attended by an elite group of representatives that included physicians, researchers, policymakers, government officials and leaders in the public, private and academic sectors from China and the U.S. The formal symposium, which was first held in 2003 under the leadership of President George H.W. Bush, works to advance his vision and legacy of estab- lishing better understanding, closer ties and collab- oration between the two countries. By concentrating on issues surrounding prevention, preparedness and response regarding global infectious diseases, this year's event marked the first time the traditionally broader diplomatic meeting focused on one specific, actionable topic. "Microbes respect no national boundaries, no political affiliations and no ethnicities," said Brett Giroir, M.D., chief executive officer of TAMHSC, who served as moderator for the conference. "Given today's global connectivity, an epidemic anywhere will rapidly become a threat everywhere." That threat—be it Ebola, MERS, SARS, drug- resistant tuberculosis, bioterrorism, pandemic influ- enza, or a host of lesser known microbes and viruses— served as the springboard for the keynote addresses, plenary panels and roundtable discussions that took place over the course of the gathering. Ultimately, the goal was to not only create potential solutions and strategies for moving forward, but to also establish new networks for ongoing collaboration between industry leaders in the U.S. and China. #EndPandemics Texas A&M Health Science Center hosts the 6th George H.W. Bush China-U.S. Relations Conference to promote collaboration and cooperation in the fight against global infectious diseases It would be wonderful if one of the collaborations between the U.S. and China would be to help strengthen, identify and support national public institutions like CDCs in countries in Africa and Asia and all over the world, because they provide the sustainable basis for keeping people safe. — THOMAS FRIEDEN, M.D. Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention B y A l e x a n d r a B e c k e r