In January 2007, The Washington Center received a generous gift from The Boeing Company to create a three-year program called The U.S.-China Bilateral Trade Internship Program. The mission of the program is to prepare students from China and the United States to increase their understanding of the bilateral relationship between the two countries while obtaining practical skills to become engaged citizens and leaders in their communities.

The program is hosting 60 students, called the Boeing Fellows, over a three year period: 20 participants each in the spring 2008, 2009 and 2010 semesters. Ten Chinese applicants from Peking, Tsinghua and Fudan Universities as well as ten applicants from University of Washington, California State University and Washington University are selected every year to participate in this program.

The U.S.-China Bilateral Trade Internship Program focuses on studying the cultural differences between China and the United States and analyzing the most relevant bilateral trade issues between the two countries, including discussions about best business practices and the policy-making processes. Boeing Fellows will have the opportunity to learn, first hand, about the social, cultural, political and economic dimensions of the U.S.-China trade relationship, making the most of all the resources available in the U.S. capital. The experience also prepares these young leaders for careers of responsibility in the civic, economic and government sector.

The U.S.-China Bilateral Internship Program is offered by The Washington Center, the oldest provider of experiential learning programs in one of the world's most dynamic and important cities. It provides unparalleled access to business, trade and policy leaders and prepares students in all three vital sectors of the U.S-China Bilateral Agenda—trade issues, public policy and cross-cultural awareness. The program is committed to developing leaders capable of making complex public policy decisions in a global environment, serving private companies, government agencies and the society at large.

The Program provides students the opportunity to gain practical work experience and leadership skills to succeed in their professional and personal lives at the highest level of achievement. At the same time, they will learn about the benefits of responsible citizenship while living in the city where U.S. national policy is established. The program also promotes the exchange of cultural knowledge and skills and provides a platform for structured conversation. It gives these future leaders the chance to interact with other Washington Center students from throughout the world, encouraging friendships and appreciation for the similarities and differences among cultures.