The Asia Foundation Taps Congressman Doug Bereuter as New President

House International Relations Committee Veteran to Lead Foundation In Addressing New Challenges, Opportunities in the Asia-Pacific Region

Amidst increasingly complex security, economic, and political challenges in Asia, The Asia Foundation today announced the appointment of U.S. Representative Doug Bereuter, a 25-year veteran of Congress, as its new president. Congressman Bereuter, a long-time leader on the House International Relations Committee, who is highly regarded in Asia and in the U.S. international relations community, will assume the Foundation post on September 1, 2004.

"Asia is the world's most dynamic region. Its stability and prosperity are now, more than ever, critical to U.S. interests of global peace, economic growth and security. Doug Bereuter brings precisely the right mix of qualifications: seasoned judgment, policy expertise, management acumen and well-developed rapport with key Asian and U.S. leaders that is required in today's environment for The Asia Foundation to succeed," said William L. Ball, III, chairman of The Asia Foundation's Board of Trustees.

"In my 20-plus years of working to improve U.S.-Asia relations, it has been abundantly clear that prosperity, freedom and opportunity in Asia must grow and develop from within the region, in the hearts and minds of the region's people, and at their own initiative," Bereuter said. "I am proud to be joining an organization that not only understands this principle, but has been practicing it with great success for 50 years. Dynamic changes are happening in Asia and happening fast. The Asia Foundation will continue to be a leader in supporting these development efforts in Asia and contributing to strong and mutually beneficial U.S.-Asia relations."

Last year, The Asia Foundation awarded more than $44 million in grants throughout Asia and provided books and educational materials valued at almost $28 million.

Examples of projects supported or carried out by the Foundation in recent years include:

* Recruitment of the foreign observation team for the Emergency Loya Jirga process that established Afghanistan's current transitional government, as well as support for the constitutional drafting process in both Afghanistan and East Timor;

* Support for the training of more than 400,000 domestic election observers in Cambodia, Indonesia, Pakistan, East Timor and Bangladesh to help promote free and fair voting processes;

* Development of curriculum to promote religious tolerance, a strong civil society and democratic principles that is now used by more than 100,000 students at Islamic schools in Indonesia;

* Training for Chinese provincial and city legal officials to help bring China's practices and laws in line with World Trade Organization requirements;

* Initiatives to combat the trafficking of women and children;

* Education, and small business loans for more than 250,000 women and girls in Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, Pakistan and Vietnam; and

* Creation of economic opportunities through support for small business development in Indonesia and other countries.

Congressman Bereuter was first elected to Congress from Nebraska's First District in 1978. He has served on the House International Relations Committee for 21 years, including six years (the maximum permitted under term limits) as its vice chairman. Since 1995, he has served on the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, leading the subcommittee as chairman for six years. He currently chairs the Subcommittee on Europe and is president of the 40-country NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

He has been a member of the House Financial Services Committee for 23 years. He has served on its Multilateral Development Bank Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the Asian Development Bank, for 20 years and chaired the subcommittee during the 107th Congress. He also served for seven years on the House International Relations Subcommittee on Economic Policy and Trade and for eight years on the House Select Committee on Hunger.

The Congressman is a founding co-chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and continues to serve on the Commission today. He was chairman of the House Speaker's Task Force to Monitor and Report on the Transition of Hong Kong from 1996 to 2002.

Congressman Bereuter will succeed current Foundation President William P. Fuller, who last year announced he would step down in 2004 after 15 years' service to the Foundation.

About The Asia Foundation

The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous and open Asia-Pacific region. The Foundation supports programs in Asia that help improve governance and law, economic reform and development, women's participation and international relations. Drawing on 50 years of experience in Asia, the Foundation collaborates with private and public partners to support leadership and institutional development, exchanges and policy research.

With a network of 17 offices throughout Asia, an office in Washington, D.C. and its headquarters in San Francisco, the Foundation addresses these issues on both a country and regional level. In 2003, the Foundation awarded more than $44 million in grants and distributed over 750,000 books and educational materials valued at almost $28 million throughout Asia. For more information about The Asia Foundation, visit www.asiafoundation.org

SOURCE: The Asia Foundation

CONTACT: San Francisco: Jennifer C. Betti

+1-415-743-3367, [email protected]

Washington, D.C.: Tom Hetlage

+1-202-588-9473 ext. 310, [email protected]

both of The Asia Foundation

Web site: http://www.asiafoundation.org

--Distributed by AsiaNet (www.asianetnews.net)--

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