John W. Allen

0:00 Speaker 1 Sunday Morning with us today is John W. Allen, and he’s the co founder and chairman of the CEO of the China Corporation of Rochester. China Corporation. Well, it’s Chinese New Year’s John Allen. Tell us what the China Corporation is, can give us the pulse of what is Lunar New Year like in China today.

0:25 Speaker 2 Well, I’ll start with Luna New Year because I love dumplings and China New Year is famous for its dumplings and I’ve had many of them. I love Chinese food and particularly Chinese dumplings, So we’ll start with that. But I’ve been involved with China for decades, many decades as first with the Chinese Culture Foundation run by Elizabeth Wang,

0:48 and you’ve been very instrumental in helping that.

0:50 Speaker 1 I guess me, You and me, You and Elizabeth Wang, and along with our friend from AIG, Hank Greenberg, and we all supported it to having a better way of life together.

1:07 Speaker 2 Well, you know, you know, John, it is interesting you mentioned Hag Greenbury because you know he’s one hundred years old right now and very strong. But uh, he has the same philosophy about China as you and I do and and on many occasions, he has stood up in front of the Chinese Cultural Foundation presentation and said, the

1:27 two most important countries in the world today are the US and China, and if we get along, we will create a much better world. So let’s get along.

1:37 Speaker 1 And I like that. I like that common sense. Yeah, and we work together on bringing the pandas to central parks, but we failed. Maybe we can do it again.

1:50 Speaker 2 Let’s let’s try for it. Because I actually went out to San Diego to see the panda that ended up in the San Diego zoo. But let’s bring him back, John, because with your help we can do anything. You’re you’re you’re a mover and a shaker.

2:01 Speaker 1 Thank you. So tell us you give us the lunar New Years, Lunar New Year, and give us the pulse of what’s going on in China right now.

2:12 Speaker 2 Well it’s an interesting pulse because first of all, China has four times the population of the US and the real race that seems to be in advanced AI general intelligence. And I think that, you know, with a population that works hard all the time and it seems to never sleep, including AI, I think that we need joined forces on

2:36 how AI will affect both countries. But I think in the short term China has adapted very very well to a lot of the tariffs that Trump has put on the country because China has many many markets, particularly in Africa and Latin America, and those countries are extremely receptive to Chinese goods and services. I’ve spent a lot of

2:59 time I’m particularly in Brazil, and I can tell you one of my good friends is the head of the China Brazil Chamber of Commerce, and he is a big believer in strengthening that relationship. And so even though the tariffs to China that Trump may put on are very high, China has many many alternative markets and I think there

3:21 so I think that maybe we had some hiccups on a temporary basis, but the medium to long term is very positive. And I’m hoping that when Trump and She’s in Pain get together, they will realize that and open some more doors to cooperation, because why should we fight somebody is I go right back to the Chinese general

3:42 soon She who in fifth century BC. He wrote the Art of War, and he said, you know, if you reach a common ground with your enemy, have you have you not defeated them without going to war. And as we know when when Lincoln went to Gettysburg, he reflected the same thing. He said, you know, if you work

4:05 together with your enemy, you know you can come to a common solution and avoid war.

4:11 Speaker 1 I agree with that.

4:13 Speaker 2 Yeah, well, I think that the both well in the long term. I think that the writing’s on the wall. China is being four times larger and with so many hard working, brilliant people. I just hope we get enough Chinese here in the US and enough Americans in China so that we’re all partners, we’re not the adversaries. So

4:33 that’s my feeling.

4:34 Speaker 1 I agree. Now, give me the pulse of what’s going on inside China. You know. I speak to this guy that’s on our shows all the time, Good and Chang, and he feels that the world is coming to an end in China. Then I speak to one on one with President Trump and he feels that he can make

4:54 a deal with you know, Prime Minister seek or Presidency. Tell me what your pulse is.

5:04 Speaker 2 Well, as I say, I have many Chinese friends, many of whom go back and forth. And one of my friends is a brilliant financier. He just came back. He said you know, he said, I observed and met with a lot of my friends here, and the Chinese people work very, very hard. They’re very focused, much more so

5:25 than Americans. And he’s an American Chinese Chinese Americans, and he said, you know, that drive and that focus is really going to put China head And there are doubters, and there are dissidents, and there are people who criticized China, both in China and the US. Kind of hard to do it in China right now, but even in the

5:46 short term, I think the pulse signs are that there are some very positive things going on in China and the if you look at the United States, particularly in the field of a on some of the greatest AI entrepreneurs come from China. In fact, bring them over, you know, we need more and that one example is that MIT,

6:09 where they have some of the smartest people in the world, they actually have an AI course that’s run by a Chinese student student at MIT. So even though you hear, and particularly here in the US, we hear negative things about China because the pruss loves to point out the negative.

6:30 But I think for on the ground in China, from the reports I hear from the friends I know there is things are definitely on the right track for China, and there’s a sense of optimism, particularly optimists in terms of their competition with the US. It’s not worrisome, but I think positive anyway, as long as we can collaborate

6:51 rather than compute.

6:53 Speaker 1 We got thirty seconds left. What else you want to talk to tell the American people, who’s got to make your listeners right now? About China?

7:01 Speaker 2 Well, I would All I’d say is go out and try some of those wonderful Chinese dumplings today and enjoy the Chinese food because it’s one of the most enjoyable, interesting and delightful things you will ever do. So Happy Chinese Lunar New Year’s And as I say, when I converted my my and converted my languages, you know I

7:25 learned how to say hello, how are you mee? How? Why?

7:28 Speaker 1 Need well? John Allen? I look forward to breaking bread with you and talking more about China, because I think you’re one hundred percent right. The closer we work together, the better.

7:39 Speaker 2 It is for all here here John on arn and upward, thank.

7:43 Speaker 1 You so much.

7:44 Speaker 2 We stay on the mole. That’s okay,