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SAN FRANCISCO – 10/09/07 – Bay Area business executive John Chen is this year's recipient of the 2007 New Silk Road Award for his contributions to creating business ties between the US and Asia.

The award is presented annually by the California-Asia Business Council (Cal-Asia) with this year’s presentation at the group’s annual Gala Dinner scheduled for October 26 at the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco.

Chen is being honored "for building strong markets for American technology in China, Japan, Korea, and elsewhere in Asia, and for vigorously championing the expansion of healthy US-Asia commerce in Congress and in industry and policy forums," said Brad Aris, senior vice president of Wells Fargo HSBC Trade Bank and chairman of the non-profit group’s award committee.

Chen is chairman, chief executive officer, and president of Silicon Valley- based Sybase Inc., which develops, markets and supports client/server software products and services for integrated enterprise-wide information management systems.

Named to the President’s Export Council, Chen also acts as co-chairman of the Secure Borders and Open Doors Advisory Committee, and serves on the boards of The Walt Disney Company and Wells Fargo & Company.

He is also a member of the prestigious Chinese-American leadership group, the Committee of 100.

In addition to the presentation of the award, other features of the evening include attendance by diplomats and their spouses from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam; business networking; a silent auction of Asian antiques and travel packages; and a colorful parade of fashions by designers Victor Tung and Cybele Chang.

The "New Silk Road Award" itself consists this year of a hand-woven Laotian tapestry of silver, gold and black silk.

The name of the award symbolizes both the ancient trade routes between Asia and the Western world, and the economic importance of today's transpacific commerce, according to Cal-Asia executive director, Jeremy Potash.

Previous winners of the award are former Secretary of  State George Shultz (2006); US Senator Dianne Feinstein (2005); Washington SyCip, known as the "Wise Owl" of Asia business (2004); and Dr. Daniel Chao, then chairman of Bechtel China (2003).

The California-Asia Business Council’s mission is to help California firms of all sizes develop or expand their commercial ties with the economies of Asia.

Additional information on the group and the Silk Road Award can be found at www.calasia.org

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