(Macao, June 8, 2013) - Ambassador Nicholas Platt lectured on "China and the U.S. - Then and Now" Saturday afternoon at the University of Macau, an event made possible due to The Venetian® Macao's platinum-tier sponsoring of The Philadelphia Orchestra 2013 Residency and Fortieth Anniversary Tour of China - Macao. University students and members of the public were invited to attend the free lecture, co-organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the University of Macau.

"We are truly honoured to have Ambassador Nicholas Platt visiting Macao in conjunction with The Philadelphia Orchestra 2013 Residency and Commemorative Tour of China - Macao," said Edward Tracy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sands China Ltd. "Ambassador Platt has a longstanding relationship with China, and it is truly a privilege to hear him share his views. Someone as legendary as he is, who actually accompanied President Nixon on the historic trip to China 40 years ago, has so many interesting anecdotes to share, and his listeners can benefit from his insight and experience. Arranging for this sort of lecture is part of our ongoing commitment to organise and support cultural events for the wider Macao community."

Ambassador Platt shared his views on U.S.-China relations and showed a film as part of his lecture. He elaborated on some of the first exchanges between Americans and Chinese, explaining how National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger and President Nixon saw the relationship as an international balancing act between the United States, China and the Soviet Union. Attendees were engrossed in the lecture; one of the university students in attendance commented afterward about how much he had learnt from Ambassador Platt on the importance of foreign relationships for a country, and how amazing it had been to watch clips of the historic tour.

About Ambassador Platt

After a 34-year Foreign Service career, Nicholas Platt served for 12 years at the helm of the Asia Society before becoming President Emeritus on July 1, 2004. Trained in Chinese (Mandarin) at the State Department Language School during 1962-63, he began his career in Asia as a China Analyst at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong from 1964-68. In 1972 he accompanied President Nixon on the historic trip to Beijing that signalled the resumption of relations between the United States and China. He was one of the first members of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing when the United States established a mission there in 1973. He served in Canada and Japan, and as U.S. Ambassador to Zambia (1982-1984), the Philippines (1987-91) and Pakistan (1991-92). Educated at Harvard College and Johns Hopkins SAIS, he is a member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations, a board member of the Friends of China Heritage Fund Limited, as well as Chair of the US-China Education Trust Advisory Board. His memoir "China Boys" was published in March 2010.



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About The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel

Opened in 2007, The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel is Macao's first integrated resort featuring stunning replicas of the famous canals and architectural icons of Venice, Italy. The Venetian Macao features 3,000 suites, 1.2 million square feet (111,000 square metres) of convention and meeting facilities as well as a 15,000-seat CotaiArena™ designed for world-class sports events and electrifying entertainment. The Venetian Macao is also home to the unique, 1,800-seat luxury Venetian Theatre, hosting the best in international and Chinese entertainment; more than 30 renowned restaurants; MALO CLINIC Health & Wellness; the incredibly fun QUBE indoor playground and more than 300 retailers at Shoppes Grand Canal. Outdoor recreation areas include swimming pools and cabanas and a mini-golf course.

For more information, please visit www.venetianmacao.com.

About Cotai Strip Resorts Macao - Macao's Integrated Resort City

Sands China Ltd. is the leading developer, owner and operator of integrated resorts in Macao. The befittingly named Cotai Strip Resorts Macao, situated on reclaimed land between the islands of Coloane and Taipa, is the one destination that provides a stunning array of experiences at the heart of Cotai. Cotai Strip Resorts Macao has transformed a gaming-centric day-trip market into an integrated resort city and international hub for business and leisure travellers.

Pulsating with life, both night and day, Cotai Strip Resorts Macao features an expansive offering of affordable luxury available nowhere else in Macao, with approximately 9,000 hotel rooms and suites, international superstar live entertainment, duty-free shopping with 600 retailers offering an unparalleled array of name brands, 1.3 million square feet (120,000 square metres) of meeting and exhibition space for Asia's leading conferences and exhibitions, gaming excitement, transportation offerings and well over 100 dining options, including international restaurants, bars and lounges. Cotai Strip Resorts Macao is a must-see destination providing every guest with an unforgettable experience and unparalleled excitement.

Comprised of the The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel; The Plaza™ Macao, featuring the Four Seasons Hotel Macao; and Sands® Cotai Central, featuring the world's largest Conrad, Sheraton, and Holiday Inn hotels, Cotai Strip Resorts Macao is where Asia's ultimate destination is all within reach.

Cotai Strip Resorts Macao....truly Macao Starts Here™. For more information, please visit www.cotaistrip.com.mo/en/.

About The Philadelphia Orchestra

Renowned for its distinctive sound, beloved for its keen ability to capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences, and admired for an unrivalled legacy of "firsts" in music-making, The Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the preeminent orchestras in the world.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin became the eighth music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra beginning in the 2012-13 season and brings a vision that extends beyond symphonic music into the vivid world of opera and choral music. He follows an extraordinary history of artistic leaders in the Orchestra's 112 seasons, including music directors Fritz Scheel, Carl Pohlig, Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, Riccardo Muti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, and Christoph Eschenbach, and Charles Dutoit, who served as chief conductor from 2008 to 2012.

The Philadelphia Orchestra maintains a strong commitment to collaborations with cultural and community organizations on a regional and national level. Since Orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore's arrival in 2010 The Philadelphia Orchestra has reinvigorated or launched new partnerships with the Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadelphia Live Arts (Fringe Festival), Philadanco, the Curtis Institute of Music, the Marian Anderson Award, the Ridge Theater Company, and stage director James Alexander, among others.

Philadelphia is home and the Orchestra nurtures an important relationship not only with patrons who support the main season at the Kimmel Center but also those who enjoy the Orchestra's other area performances at the Mann Center, Penn's Landing, and other venues. The Philadelphia Orchestra Association also continues to own the Academy of Music, a National Historic Landmark.

Through concerts, tours, residencies, presentations, and recordings, the Orchestra is a global ambassador for Philadelphia and for the U.S. Having been the first American orchestra to perform in China, in 1973 at the request of President Nixon, today The Philadelphia Orchestra boasts a new partnership with the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. The Orchestra annually performs at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center while also enjoying a three-week residency in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and a strong partnership with the Bravo! Vail festival.

The ensemble recently joined with SpectiCast to deliver simulcasts of Orchestra concerts into theatres, schools, and performing arts centres. The Orchestra also recently announced a partnership with WRTI (90.1 FM) to broadcast pre-recorded versions of its subscription concerts from February through May 2013. The ensemble maintains an important Philadelphia tradition of presenting educational programs for students of all ages. Today the Orchestra executes a myriad of education and community partnership programs serving nearly 50,000 annually, including its Neighborhood Concert Series, Sound All Around and Family Concerts, and eZseatU. In February 2013 the Orchestra announced a recording project with Deutsche Grammophon, in which Yannick and the ensemble will record Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. For more information on The Philadelphia Orchestra, please visit www.philorch.org.

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