2004 Annual Report – Introduction

Friends of China Foundation, Ltd., (FOC) was incorporated in 1987 primarily to facilitate the recruitment of English teachers for Chinese universities. FOC is registered in Hong Kong and has charitable status. FOC's China office is located in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. With the official registration in November, 2004 of a new office in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, FOC now has a total of four representative offices in China, In addition to the Chengdu and Urumqi offices, the other two are located in Xining, Qinghai Province and Xian, Shaanxi Province.

Although incorporated in Hong Kong, FOC recruits internationally for professionals in a variety of fields willing to use their expertise to assist the continuing development of China with an attitude of humility and mutual respect. Currently, FOC personnel come from 17 different countries, namely the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, France, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Korea, Philippines, Jamaica, and Paraguay.

As the needs of China change as a result of her rapid and continual reform and development, FOC has endeavored from the time of its incorporation to adapt its efforts to respond appropriately. The location of our main office in Chengdu illustrates our commitment to direct much of our energy and resources to assist the development of the West of China, which is a current national focus. Although FOC’s primary activities involve education, in recent years we have branched out to include community development in some remote areas. As new opportunities and needs arise, FOC desires to work together with local officials to assist in whatever way possible.

The primary resource of FOC is the people recruited from around the world to teach and work in China. The scope of the expertise represented by FOC associates continues to increase, and FOC is committed to recruit actively for experts in various fields. In addition to recruiting English teachers, during the year 2004 we have been able to:

Facilitate the supply of teachers of other subjects, both short and long term
Facilitate visits by foreign experts in various fields
Introduce students of Mandarin and minority languages
Provide short-term English teachers
Provide training programs for Middle School and High School English teachers
Facilitate short-term Mandarin language study programs
Participate in rural community development projects and rural education projects

FOC seeks to recruit personnel who not only have excellence in their profession but also excellence in their character. Every person introduced to China by FOC is given an orientation in order to prepare them for life and work in China, including issues relating to cultural sensitivity. Contact is maintained with these individuals to ensure that they are adjusting and performing well.