$2 Million Gift from Cyrus Chung Ying Tang Foundation Will Help RAND Corp. Establish China Study Institute

The Cyrus Chung Ying Tang Foundation has donated $2 million to the RAND Corporation to establish the Tang Institute for U.S.-China Relations, RAND President and CEO James A. Thomson announced today.

The institute will work to improve policy discussions that shape relations between the United States and China on issues such as currency, labor and trade, direct foreign investment, and the perceptions that each nation holds about the other. The institute will be a part of the RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy.

“Creation of the institute comes at an important time in the history of relations between these two nations,” Thomson said. “We believe the foresight and generosity of the Tang family ultimately will help both nations better understand each other.”

The Tang Institute will undertake and publish research, organize symposia and create programs for scholar and student exchanges.

“We feel that the Tang Institute will help our foundation accomplish its objective to foster greater understanding and mutual respect between United States and China through effective investment in community service and cultural exchanges,” Cyrus Tang said. “We are also confident that the RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy will provide the visionary planning and oversight needed to develop an effective program.”

Cyrus Tang was born in China and came to America in 1950. He currently is chairman and president of Tang Industries, an international manufacturing and distribution company, based in Las Vegas.

He has served on the board of advisors of the RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy for nearly a decade and has contributed significant philanthropic support, culminating in his most recent gift.