McHenry County Blog

The American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) exchange delegation from China finished their tour of the Apple Creek Estates town homes and I convinced them they would not be late for their train, even if we went to see the Lucas Road detached family home models.

After looking one model, some went back to the visitors center while others toured another model.

Two decided to go outside by the drainage pond.

Unlike the one behind the town homes, which was complete unlandscaped, this one had some yellow flowers at one end.  Maybe they were wild flowers.

The deputy chief of staff of the government of Tibet, however, convinced a female colleague to allow him to take some photos of her in front of the drainage pond.

She struck this pose and I told her she looked just like a movie star.

When the photo shot was completed it was off to the bus. A number of the visitors were nervous that we would not arrive in time.

We were in plenty of time. The train had not arrived.

The party waved good-bye as the bus took me home.

The model homes of Kirk Homes in Woodstock were absolutely the most memorable part of the American Council of Young Political Leaders-sponsor visit by the young Chinese political leaders.

A living room was up for examination next.

I believe by now we had moved from the town homes to the detached homes down Route 47 and west on Lucas Road.

You can see there was widespread interest.

Another model, another study. This one attracted both a man and a woman.

These nautical decorations caught the attention of Li Hui.

I’ve got a feeling if the delegation leader could have taken home these anchors she would have.

Next the group headed outside.

Then, it was time to see more of consumer-oriented America.

More tomorrow.

After leaving the McHenry County Jail, the young Chinese political leaders and I headed toward two Kirk Home developments south of Woodstock.

Back in the late 1990′s my friends Al and Kathy Salvi had hosted a city councilman from Moscow. We went to eat at my favorite restaurant, 1776, and afterward we visited a model home on Miller Road in Lake in the Hills.

He was entranced. Indeed, I was so impressed that I vowed never to encourage my wife to look at new home models in the area. The inside was spectacular. Of course, there were no trees, a big thing with me.

We went into the town home development that can be seen from Route 47 first.

What you see there now is pretty much what we saw then.

First we went into the reception unit.  I told the sales people who was visiting and they were pretty impressed.

Then, it was off to the model town homes.

There was an unlandscaped drainage pond that could be seen out the bedroom window.

The group seemed quite interested in the view outside the second floor bedroom.

But there were woman interested, too.

Next it was a man and a woman.

The next room was a study.

The study attracted men only.

I would not be surprised to find interior decoration ideas from these Kirk homes are now found in China.

Relaxing at a dining room table made the agenda.

The living room was up for examination next.

You can see there was widespread interest.

Another model, another study. This one attracted both a man and a woman.

These nautical decorations caught the attention of Li Hui.

I got a feeling if the delegation leader could have taken home these anchors she would have.

Next the group headed outside.

More tomorrow.

Today we continue our tour of the McHenry County Jail with a June 1977 delegation of young political leaders from China. The visit was sponsored by the American Council of Young Political leaders.

I thought a visit to the jail might be interesting because so many Chinese end up in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) floor built under Sheriff Keith Nygren’s guidance.

There we looked at the control room.

I wasn’t the only one taking pictures.

Here’s the day room we saw.

There was a cell isolated from the others we were allowed to examine.

It was a room with a view…of the parking lot behind the courthouse.

A phone was nearby.

It was time to leave.

The photographers had taken their pictures.

It was back to the bus.

Although I thought all the photos in the jail had been taken, some more were desired.

Then, the delegation wanted a photo of him with their leader. She agreed.

For some reason, they even wanted me in a photo. It embarrassed me, but I complied with their request.

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at what was clearly the hit of the visit to McHenry County.

This is third portion of an overdue story about a Chinese delegation of young political leaders who visited McHenry County three years ago, way back in June of 2007.

The trip was sponsored by the American Council of Young Political Leaders.

I got involved because I went on an ACYPL-sponsored trip to Europe in 1976 when State Senator Mark Rhoads, who had much better Washington connections than I, couldn’t make it.

Come 2007 and I learned a visiting delegation from China was spending the weekend in Chicago and I thought I owed.

They took the train from Chicago to Crystal Lake and we drove to Lakeside Center for lunch.

After leaving the Crystal Lake Gala’s carnival and food tents, we drove past McHenry County College

It was just a drive-by.

We drove east on Lucas Road to Route 14, I pointed to MCC and it was off to the

As we entered Woodstock, the man from Mongolia was singing a pleasant folk song.

We drove around the Square to give a view of what historic buildings look like in our young country.

Sheriff Keith Nygren had arranged for us to the tour the county jail.

Before we went in they posed for a photo in front of the jail.

Mike Lucas was the officer who conducted the tour.

Lucas led us down the hall.

We were told not to take photos of any of the inmates.  Fortunately for us photographers, it was shift change and the prisoners were locked in their cells.

Then, we walked through a door with the sign you see below saying, “No weapons beyond this point.”

We climbed up to the ICE floor.

There we saw the exercise room.

I asked why there was no basketball hoop. Vandalism was the answer.

More of our jail tour tomorrow.

There we looked at the control room.

I wasn’t the only one taking pictures.

Here’s the day room we saw.

There was a cell isolated from the others we were allowed to examine.

It was a room with a view…of the parking lot behind the courthouse.

A phone was nearby.

It was time to leave.

The photographers had taken their pictures.

It was back to the bus.

Although I thought all the photos in the jail had been taken, some more were desired.

Then, the delegation wanted a photo of him with their leader.  She agreed.

For some reason, they even wanted me in a photo.  It embarrassed me, but I complied with their request.

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at what was clearly the hit of the visit to McHenry County.

Today we continue talking about the delegation of young Chinese political leaders who were touring the country under the auspicious of the American Council of Young Political Leaders.

They arrived from Chicago at about noon and we drove to Lakeside Center.

Since it was noon, I figured that my Chinese young political leaders would be hungry.

Apparently not.

They didn’t want to eat right away.

Instead, some rode on some carnival rides.

The Ferris Wheel had the most attraction.

I hope you will find the different shots I took of most of the delegation of interest.

I wish I could match the visitors names with their faces, but it’s been too long.

Others asked if there were a golf course nearby, so I pointed them toward the Crystal Lake Country Club and off most of them went for a walk. Maybe they saw the golf club while on the Ferris Wheel.

I got the impression that golf is quite the thing in China, that the courses are often difficult because they are located where people can’t live.

Compared to my camera, they had some really good ones.

The guy I pegged as the “watcher” had one and so did the party central committee secretary of Tibet.

The Chinese tour guide explained to me that Beijing had festivals like this, too, but they were “bigger.”

Little Crystal Lake versus multi-million person Beijing, I thought. I would hope festivals there would be larger.

Although it was lunch time, the Chinese did not eat until it was pretty much time for the bus to leave for Woodstock.

So, the bus was waiting.

We were off schedule

And the visitors were eating and drinking beer.

They had decided that they did not want to go for a boat ride.

They wanted to return to Chicago sooner, rather than late in the evening.

So, it was off along Lake Avenue to Briarwood.

I point out our house. Our flag was on a pole affixed to the garage.

“Why are so many flags displayed,” one wanted to know.

“Is it a patriotic holiday?”

I explained that it was not, that Independence Day was coming up, but that many people flew their flags all year round.

That surprised them.

As we were driving up Briarwood toward Route 176, another asked who tended to the trees.

A revealing question, perhaps.

I replied that the people who lived in the houses did, explaining that they generally homeowners and took care of their properties. I added a little bit on the value of home ownership.

The bus went east on Lucas Road so I could show them McHenry County College. Just a drive-by look.

More tomorrow.

At the end of June, 2007, I had the opportunity to host young political leaders from China.

It was an exchange trip sponsored by the American Council of Young Political Leaders.

Back in the fall of 1976, I had an opportunity to go on a junket to Europe (Brussels, Germany, the Netherlands, a ferry boat trip to Sweden).

We

• attended a NATO conference,
• toured its headquarters where I met a former Democratic opponent of Congressman Robert C. McClory,
• got to talk to the equivalent of Barry Goldwater’s campaign manager the week before the German election,
• met with parliamentarians in a railroad liberal waterfront home reception (where I learned about home health care to allow seniors to stay in the homes longer),
• visited a Viking boat museum,
• stayed in hotel overlooking Trivoli,
• pretty much had a great time on a busman’s holiday.

So, when I got an email telling of how Chinese young politicians were coming to Illinois to visit Springfield and Chicago, I figured a long ride on the train through suburbia might expand their knowledge of what the United States is all about.

Previously, they had visited either Arizona or Washington, D.C., and were on the way to the other.

Seeing the Southwest, Washington, D.C., Downtown Chicago and Springfield just didn’t seem to be a representative tour of the United States.

Suburbia had been left out.

I arranged for things for them to do.

Meeting the delegation at the Metra Station, I told them what was on the schedule for the day.

First we would eat at Lakeside Center, then take a boat ride on Crystal Lake, visit the county jail and tour models in a new subdivision.

Before we got on the bus that Algonquin Township Road Commissioner had kindly provided, I explained what I had been told about their incarcerated countrymen by the head of the Corrections Division of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department.

He had explained Chinese men and women arrived at O’Hare’s International Terminal, but couldn’t get out because they didn’t have passports.

They were then taken to the McHenry County Jail.

He said that the men had to work their fee off in Chinese restaurants around the country, living in the basements.

The women ended up as prostitutes. According to him, they submitted because the gangs that arranged for them to fly into O’Hare threatened to do bad things to their relatives, if they didn’t work off their debt.

Come to find out, they had spent all day before at the Cook County Jail.  Sheriff Tom Dart had given them the grand tour himself.  I asked if they had seen the good and the bad parts and was assured that they had seen everything.

Too much, in fact.  I got the impression if they never saw another American jail that would be alright.

I assured them that McHenry County’s would provide a favorable comparison to Cook County’s.

First, we would got to Lakeside Center to eat.

I can never remember the difference between the Lakeside Festival and the Gala, but I found a photo of this Gala ticket so I guess that was what it was.

I figured they could see how Americans entertain themselves in a summer festival and have a wide choice of food.

I had hoped Perry Moy would be at his Plum Garden stand, but he wasn’t.

Apparently the delegation wasn’t hungry.

Since one of the visitors had the word “township” in her title, I had invited the township supervisors who were women. Richmond Township Supervisor Tammy Valentine-Garza and McHenry Township Supervisor Donna Schaefer came. Schaefer brought her daughter, who was born in China.

Some spoke good English, some none. One, who was working at the new stock exchange, has a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

More tomorrow.

I thought you might be interesting in reading the biographies of the young Chinese political leaders who are arriving in the United States Sunday for a visit which will include Springfield, Chicago and Crystal Lake. Prior to coming to Illinois, they will be in Washington, D.C. After Illinois, they will visit New Mexico.

One, Mr. QI Bin, holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, among other degrees. He is Research Center Director, China Securities Regulatory Commission, described as the commission’s “think tank.” Before returning to Chicago he worked for Goldman Sachs. He is the only one who appears to have been in Illinois previously.

All have impressive credentials.

Mr. YANG Yue, President, All-China Youth Federation
Honorary Head of the Delegation

Mr. Yang has been the President of the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) since early 2006. He oversees the daily work of the federation and is mainly responsible for the domestic work of ACYF. He served as Vice President of ACYF from 2001 to 2005. From late 1999 to 2001, he served as the Vice Mayor of the Tongzhou District of Beijing Municipality. He served as President of the Youth Federation of Tsinghua University until 1999. Before that, he was Deputy Director of the Student Work Department of Tsinghua University from 1995 to 1997. During his time at Tsinghua University, one of the top universities in China, Mr. Yang was President of the All-China Students’ Federation (1990-1995). He received a Doctorate of Nanotechnology from the university in 1996.

Mr. Yang visited the western coast of the United States in 1998 while working at Qinghua University.

About ACYF:

Established in 1949, the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) is a federative body of Chinese youth organizations and young leaders nationwide. Through its 52 member organizations and over 77,000 individual members at all levels, the ACYF reaches over 300 million young people across China. Besides its commitment to national development and world peace, the ACYF aims to represent and protect the legitimate rights and interests of young people and promote youth participation and development. It runs programs and activities in the following fields: education and training, voluntary service, development of new countryside, environmental protection, protection of rights and interests, innovation and employment, youth culture, international exchanges and cooperation and exchange programs with Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Due to its significant contributions to youth and society, the ACYF was granted the Human Resources Development Award by UNESCAP in 1999, the World Youth Award by UN in 2000 and the Earth Award by UNEP in 2004.

Ms. LI Hui
President, Hunan Provincial Youth Federation
Head of the Delegation

Ms. Li assumed the office of President of the Hunan Provincial Youth Federation in 2006. The Youth Federation involves young political leaders, entrepreneurs, scholars and students and provides services to local young people through various activities. Prior to this position, she was the President of the Youth Federation of Changsha City, the capital of central China’s Hunan province, and then vice president of the provincial youth federation. She visited the US in 1999 and then spent six months on a training course at University of Baltimore from December 2003 to June 2004.

Ms. Li received her bachelor’s degree from Hunan Normal College in 1991, a master’s degree in management from Hunan University in 1996, and is a doctorate-candidate of Hunan University.

Mr. QI Bin
Research Center Director, China Securities Regulatory Commission
ACYF Member

Mr. Qi is the Director-General of the Research Center, the think-tank of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). Prior to his current position, Mr. Qi was a Deputy Director of the Fund Supervision Department of CSRC for five years, supervising the mutual fund industry and qualified foreign institutional investors (QFIIs) in the Chinese capital market.

Mr. Qi joined CSRC in 2000 as a member of its Strategy and Planning Committee. In 2002, he had the responsibility of initiating and supervising the overhaul of China’s fund industry, which then underwent 10-fold growth within 5 years. Before joining CSRC in 2000, Mr. Qi was a partner of a New York-based venture capital firm. He also worked with Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Paribas Capital Market in New York and London.

Mr. Qi holds a Ph. D. in Economics from Tsinghua University, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and an MS in Biophysics from the University of Rochester. From 1991 to 1992, Mr. Qi lectured physics at Tsinghua University, where he received his BS in physics.

Mr. XIAO Chuanjiang
Deputy Chief of Staff, People’s Government of Tibet Autonomous Region

Mr. Xiao has been the deputy Chief of Staff of the People’s Government of Tibet Autonomous Region since 2005. Prior to this position, he worked as Division Chief of the General Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Tibet Autonomous Region from 1998 to 2005. He also worked at the Tibetan Academy of Sciences between 1990 and 1998 as a scholar focused on macro-economic development.

Mr. Xiao received his Bachelor’s degree from Hubei University majoring in mathematics, and obtained a master’s degree in humane geography from South Western Normal University in 2001.

Ms. LIN Qing
Vice President, Chinese Association of Young Township Entrepreneurs

Ms. Lin has been with the Chinese Association of Young Township Entrepreneurs since 2005. Chinese Association of Young Township Entrepreneurs, established in 1988, is the national mass organization of directors and managers from domestic village and township enterprises. Before serving in her present capacity, Ms. Lin worked her way up from Program Officer to Division Chief of the Youth Federation in Eastern China’s Shandong province.

She has both a master’s degree in political science and a bachelor’s degree in history from Shandong University.

Ms. WU Xu
Vice Mayor, People’s Government of Ya’an City, Sichuan Province

Ms. Xu has been serving as Vice Mayor of Ya’an city since 2006. Before that, she worked as Vice Magistrate of Da’an district of Zigong City in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, and was then promoted to Vice President of Sichuan Provincial Youth Federation in 2000.

Ms. Xu obtained her bachelor’s degree in economics from Sichuan Normal University in 1997 and an MPA from Nanyang Technological University in 2006.

Mr. SHENG Xitai
Member of Standing Committee of ACYF
President, United Securities Co., Ltd.

Mr. Sheng currently holds the office of President and Board Chairman of the United Securities Co., Ltd. His previous experience includes serving as Vice General Manager of Jun’an Securities Co. Ltd, Minsheng Capital Management Co. Ltd and Tiantong Securities. In 1997, he joined the United Securities Co., Ltd first as General Manager of the Department of Banking Investment and then was promoted to be Vice President in 2000.

He got his EMBA from Beijing University in 2005, and master’s degree in accounting from Nankai University in 1993.

I thought you might be interesting in reading the biographies of the young Chinese political leaders who are arriving in the United States Sunday for a visit which will include Springfield, Chicago and Crystal Lake. Prior to coming to Illinois, they will be in Washington, D.C. After Illinois, they will visit New Mexico.

One, Mr. QI Bin, holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, among other degrees. He is Research Center Director, China Securities Regulatory Commission, described as the commission’s “think tank.” Before returning to Chicago he worked for Goldman Sachs. He is the only one who appears to have been in Illinois previously.

All have impressive credentials.

Mr. YANG Yue, President, All-China Youth Federation
Honorary Head of the Delegation

Mr. Yang has been the President of the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) since early 2006. He oversees the daily work of the federation and is mainly responsible for the domestic work of ACYF. He served as Vice President of ACYF from 2001 to 2005. From late 1999 to 2001, he served as the Vice Mayor of the Tongzhou District of Beijing Municipality. He served as President of the Youth Federation of Tsinghua University until 1999. Before that, he was Deputy Director of the Student Work Department of Tsinghua University from 1995 to 1997. During his time at Tsinghua University, one of the top universities in China, Mr. Yang was President of the All-China Students’ Federation (1990-1995). He received a Doctorate of Nanotechnology from the university in 1996.

Mr. Yang visited the western coast of the United States in 1998 while working at Qinghua University.

About ACYF:

Established in 1949, the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) is a federative body of Chinese youth organizations and young leaders nationwide. Through its 52 member organizations and over 77,000 individual members at all levels, the ACYF reaches over 300 million young people across China. Besides its commitment to national development and world peace, the ACYF aims to represent and protect the legitimate rights and interests of young people and promote youth participation and development. It runs programs and activities in the following fields: education and training, voluntary service, development of new countryside, environmental protection, protection of rights and interests, innovation and employment, youth culture, international exchanges and cooperation and exchange programs with Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Due to its significant contributions to youth and society, the ACYF was granted the Human Resources Development Award by UNESCAP in 1999, the World Youth Award by UN in 2000 and the Earth Award by UNEP in 2004.

Ms. LI Hui
President, Hunan Provincial Youth Federation
Head of the Delegation

Ms. Li assumed the office of President of the Hunan Provincial Youth Federation in 2006. The Youth Federation involves young political leaders, entrepreneurs, scholars and students and provides services to local young people through various activities. Prior to this position, she was the President of the Youth Federation of Changsha City, the capital of central China’s Hunan province, and then vice president of the provincial youth federation. She visited the US in 1999 and then spent six months on a training course at University of Baltimore from December 2003 to June 2004.

Ms. Li received her bachelor’s degree from Hunan Normal College in 1991, a master’s degree in management from Hunan University in 1996, and is a doctorate-candidate of Hunan University.

Mr. QI Bin
Research Center Director, China Securities Regulatory Commission
ACYF Member

Mr. Qi is the Director-General of the Research Center, the think-tank of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). Prior to his current position, Mr. Qi was a Deputy Director of the Fund Supervision Department of CSRC for five years, supervising the mutual fund industry and qualified foreign institutional investors (QFIIs) in the Chinese capital market.

Mr. Qi joined CSRC in 2000 as a member of its Strategy and Planning Committee. In 2002, he had the responsibility of initiating and supervising the overhaul of China’s fund industry, which then underwent 10-fold growth within 5 years. Before joining CSRC in 2000, Mr. Qi was a partner of a New York-based venture capital firm. He also worked with Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Paribas Capital Market in New York and London.

Mr. Qi holds a Ph. D. in Economics from Tsinghua University, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and an MS in Biophysics from the University of Rochester. From 1991 to 1992, Mr. Qi lectured physics at Tsinghua University, where he received his BS in physics.

Mr. XIAO Chuanjiang
Deputy Chief of Staff, People’s Government of Tibet Autonomous Region

Mr. Xiao has been the deputy Chief of Staff of the People’s Government of Tibet Autonomous Region since 2005. Prior to this position, he worked as Division Chief of the General Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Tibet Autonomous Region from 1998 to 2005. He also worked at the Tibetan Academy of Sciences between 1990 and 1998 as a scholar focused on macro-economic development.

Mr. Xiao received his Bachelor’s degree from Hubei University majoring in mathematics, and obtained a master’s degree in humane geography from South Western Normal University in 2001.

Ms. LIN Qing
Vice President, Chinese Association of Young Township Entrepreneurs

Ms. Lin has been with the Chinese Association of Young Township Entrepreneurs since 2005. Chinese Association of Young Township Entrepreneurs, established in 1988, is the national mass organization of directors and managers from domestic village and township enterprises. Before serving in her present capacity, Ms. Lin worked her way up from Program Officer to Division Chief of the Youth Federation in Eastern China’s Shandong province.

She has both a master’s degree in political science and a bachelor’s degree in history from Shandong University.

Ms. WU Xu
Vice Mayor, People’s Government of Ya’an City, Sichuan Province

Ms. Xu has been serving as Vice Mayor of Ya’an city since 2006. Before that, she worked as Vice Magistrate of Da’an district of Zigong City in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, and was then promoted to Vice President of Sichuan Provincial Youth Federation in 2000.

Ms. Xu obtained her bachelor’s degree in economics from Sichuan Normal University in 1997 and an MPA from Nanyang Technological University in 2006.

Mr. SHENG Xitai
Member of Standing Committee of ACYF
President, United Securities Co., Ltd.

Mr. Sheng currently holds the office of President and Board Chairman of the United Securities Co., Ltd. His previous experience includes serving as Vice General Manager of Jun’an Securities Co. Ltd, Minsheng Capital Management Co. Ltd and Tiantong Securities. In 1997, he joined the United Securities Co., Ltd first as General Manager of the Department of Banking Investment and then was promoted to be Vice President in 2000.

He got his EMBA from Beijing University in 2005, and master’s degree in accounting from Nankai University in 1993.