On June 18, 2026, the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai hosted an official celebration ceremony for the 250th Anniversary of U.S. Independence at NBA HOOP PARK Shanghai. The event gathered distinguished guests from political, educational, sports and business sectors of China and the United States, enhancing bilateral friendship and discussing win-win cooperation between the two countries via sports and educational exchanges.

David Perdue, United States Ambassador to China (right); Scott Walker, U.S. Consul General in Shanghai (left); Mr. Joe Yan, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Griggs China (center)

Mr. Joe Yan, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Griggs China, was invited to attend this high-profile foreign affairs event on behalf of Griggs China. He participated in the ceremony together with Mr. Bowen Chen, Principal of Shanghai Hongrun Boyuan School affiliated with Griggs China. Mr. Wu Wei, Executive Vice Mayor of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, attended the event as the official representative of the Shanghai government. Yao Ming, President of the Asian Basketball Federation and iconic figure for Sino-U.S. sports exchanges, also showed up at the celebration, bridging people-to-people communication between China and the U.S. through basketball culture.

Mr. Bowen Chen (left)， Mr. Joe Yan (right)

The ceremony featured a solemn and harmonious atmosphere with numerous high-ranking guests in attendance. During the event, Mr. Joe Yan engaged in friendly discussions with U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue and U.S. Consul General in Shanghai Scott Walker, focusing on people-to-people cultural exchanges, in-depth international education cooperation, youth cross-border communication, and the integrated development of sports and cultural industries between China and the United States. U.S. diplomatic officials highly recognized Griggs’ century-long educational heritage and its long-term contributions to building a communication platform for Sino-U.S. academic exchanges in China. Mr. Joe Yan also shared Griggs’ educational layout in China (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hainan) , dual-track curriculum development and Sino-U.S. study tour programs. He reiterated Griggs’ commitment to deepening bilateral educational cooperation and promoting long-term academic exchanges and joint talent cultivation between China and the United States.

As an iconic figure in Sino-U.S. sports exchanges, Yao Ming communicated warmly with diplomatic officials and guests from both countries. He shared his personal experience of playing in the NBA and emphasized that sports serves as a universal language that bridges cultural gaps and promotes mutual understanding between Chinese and American people.

 Mr. Yao Ming

The celebration proceeded in a solemn and respectful manner. The national anthems of China and the United States were played successively at the opening of the ceremony, with all guests standing to show mutual respect for national sovereignty and cultures of both nations.

Later, Ambassador David Perdue and Consul General Scott Walker delivered opening speeches respectively. They reviewed comprehensive cooperation achievements and communication highlights between China and the U.S. across economy, culture, sports and education fields over the years. Marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the two senior diplomats looked ahead to future bilateral cooperation prospects. They stressed that people-to-people exchanges in education and sports act as the cornerstone of stable Sino-U.S. relations, and called for continuous dialogue and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.

Ambassador David Perdue (fourth from right), Vice Mayor Wu Wei (fourth from left), Consul General Scott Walker (third from left), and other distinguished guests toasted the attendees together.

Sound state-to-state relations stem from mutual communication; prosperous industry development relies on joint efforts.

Sports connects people’s hearts, while education shapes young generations’ future. For decades, Yao Ming has promoted Sino-U.S. cultural exchanges through basketball. As a century-old American international education group, Griggs has witnessed numerous key milestones of win-win cooperation between China and the United States during its long-term development in China.

For years, Griggs has adhered to its original aspiration of international education. Relying on premium global educational resources, we have launched diverse programs including Sino-U.S. student exchange tours, joint international curriculum development, overseas university admission pathways and international academic forums, facilitating idea collisions and cultural exchange between teenagers of the two nations.

Marking the significant milestone of the 250th U.S. founding anniversary in 2026, Griggs China will keep leveraging its strengths as a cross-border international education platform, integrate resources from culture, sports and education sectors, and further deepen all-round, multi-level exchanges and cooperation between China and the U.S. We will build consensus via educational communication, strengthen mutual trust through two-way cooperation, collaborate with all partners to sustain long-term friendly exchanges between China and the U.S., and embrace a brand-new mutually beneficial future.

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