From April 13 to 15, 2013, the Eighth Semi-annual NHLBI-UHG Global Health Centers of Excellence Steering Committee Meeting (SCM) was held successfully at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Beijing. Around 80 NCD experts and staff from over 10 countries participated in the meeting. Attendees were from National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), UnitedHealth, Duke University, representatives from the 11 Centers of Excellence, and non-network members from CDCs, University of Michigan, and Peking University Health Science Center.