Miss Canada to be Friday's Luncheon speaker

Denied a visa to compete in the Miss World finals in China on Saturday, Miss Canada Anastasia Lin will speak at a Club Luncheon a day earlier, on Friday.

China denied Lin’s visa application, telling the New York Times in a statement: “China welcomes all lawful activities organized in China by international organizations or agencies, including the Miss World pageant. But China does not allow any persona non grata to come to China.”

Lin, who emigrated to Canada as a teenager, has testified before Congress on human rights in China and written an op-ed on the topic in The Washington Post.

Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m., with remarks beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session ending at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $23 for Club members (members may purchase two tickets at this rate) and $37 for all other non-member tickets.

Tickets may be purchased online later today on the NPC website, www.press.org. For questions, please email [email protected] or call (202) 662 – 7501. Tickets must be paid for at the time of purchase.

Club members who wish to attend the pre-luncheon reception must RSVP separately to [email protected] 48 hours before the event. Space may be limited. You must have a paid reservation to the luncheon to attend the VIP reception.

To submit a question in advance, put MISS WORLD CANADA in the subject line and email to [email protected] before 10 a.m. on the day of the luncheon.