Toy Association Meets with China Delegation; Education Secretary DeVos to Discuss Impact of Toys

November 4, 2019 | The Toy Association’s Washington, DC headquarters hosted a delegation from China on Tuesday, October 29, as part of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) exchange program with the All-China Youth Federation. Later that day, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, an alum of the ACYPL-China exchange, welcomed the Chinese delegation and Toy Association staff at a private reception with ACYPL-China exchange alumni.

The delegation first visited The Toy Association’s offices to learn about the toy industry’s impact in China and discuss current political issues, including tariffs on Chinese imports, intellectual property (IP), and environmental sustainability. The group also learned about The Toy Association’s Genius of Play initiative and the importance of play in helping children develop key skills.

At the reception, Leigh Moyers, senior manager of federal government affairs, had the opportunity to meet Secretary DeVos and share the toy industry’s commitment to STEM/STEAM learning and the importance of developing STEM skills at a young age to ensure future success in school and in the workforce.

"It was a wonderful opportunity to share The Toy Association's advocacy efforts with these emerging Chinese leaders and have a meaningful dialogue about current political issues impacting both our nations," said Ed Desmond, executive vice president of external affairs at The Toy Association. "Meeting with Secretary DeVos allowed us an additional opportunity to share details about the toy community’s long-standing work to produce safe toys that foster growth and learning through play."

The ACYPL provides elected officials, policy experts, and rising political leaders from both the United States and around the world with the opportunity to learn about international affairs through meaningful exchanges of people and ideas to build relationships that can last a lifetime. This year marks the 40th exchange between ACYPL and the All-China Youth Federation. ACYPL has a network of more than 8,500 alumni in 128 countries and territories.