Chinese embassy in US hosts Point of Light 2014 Tribute Awards

The 2014 Tribute Awards given by Points of Light, a nonprofit volunteer service organization created by former US President George H. W. Bush., was hosted Wednesday at the Chinese embassy.

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said at the award ceremony that volunteerism is no stranger to the Chinese people and volunteering has been growing by leaps and bounds in China in the past 20 years.

Data released by Chinese Young Volunteers Association showed there are more than 40 million trained and registered young volunteers in China now and they provided 690 million hours of volunteer services in 2013.

"Every day, through numerous volunteer organizations, these remarkable young people are devoting their time and energy in community service, disaster relief and major events support," Cui said.

"As China carries on with its economic and social development, it is crucial for us to develop a well-functioning volunteer network to mobilize people to serve," the ambassador said.

"This will not only provide services to those in need, but also will make the overall economic and social development fairer, more balanced and more people-centered," he added.

Neil Bush, son of President Bush and chair of Points of Light Board of Directors, said that his father "cares so deeply about the promotion of volunteer service and the promotion of closer ties to China."

Points of Light's Greater China affiliates are located in Beijing, Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai, he said, adding that together they mobilize tens of thousands of volunteers each year.

2014 Point of Light Tribute Awards winners include retired Chinese basketball player Yao Ming, whose foundation provides educational opportunities for children in China, and the US-based Hewlett-Packard Company or HP, whose employee volunteer program seeks to find solutions to various social problems and in 2013 alone spent more than 1.6 million volunteer hours around the world.