In the morning of Feb. 28th, Mr. Li Xikui, Secretary-General of CPAFFC, met with Mr. Alexander Panychev, Rector of Petersburg State Transport University (PSTU) , and Mme. , Vice Chancellor of PSTU. Zhang Juxiang, Director-General of China Service Center for Friendship with Foreign Countries was present at the meeting.  At the meeting, Secretary-General Li Xikui expressed that he and Mr. Rector were old friends, they met with each other at the same place last September. At the last meeting, we decided to strengthen the cooperation in high-speed rail and education between the two countries, the both sides negotiated on organizing The 1st Forum for China-Russia Rectors of Transport Universities in this May. With the efforts of the both sides, the forum had been basically shaped. Rector Panychev said, the Russian Government had issued the plan on the development of high-speed rail which would be learned from China. The joint organization of the forum would positively promote the development of the cause of the Russian high-speed rail and the cooperation in education of the two countries. The forum is one of the practical programs which followed the strategic cooperation plan negotiated by the heads of States of our two countries. It had received great attention from the Russian Government, and it would be hosted by the Russian Ministry of Transport. The CPAFFC’s contribution to this event was highly appreciated. Secretary-General Li said, the current friendly circumstance between the two countries provided the both sides cooperation with favorable conditions. The CPAFFC attached great importance to the forum, and would work closely with the Russian side to ensure the event a great success.    

At the invitation of Kuwait-China Friendship Association(KCFA), Mr. Hu Jianhuai, Inspector of Asia-Africa Department led a 6-member friendship delegation visited Kuwait from February 23-27, 2013 to attend the National Day celebration of Kuwait. During the visit, the delegation held talk with KCFA and the visiting Sudan Council for International People''s Friendship on promoting the China-Kuwait friendship affairs and the 5th China-Arabic Friendship Conference. During the transit visit in Dubai, the delegation called on H.E Faisal Al Qassemi, the royal member and the Chairman of Al Qasimi Group and Mr. Tang Weibin, Chinese Consul General to Dubai on China-UAE people-to-people friendship affairs and business.

On February 26th, Mr. Zhang Heqiang, Director General of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs met with Kennis Chu, Managing Director of Australian Chinese Capital Investments Ltd. They exchanged views on how to strengthen cooperation between the two organizations and promote people-to-people exchanges between Australia and China.

Vice President Li Jianping met with Rustemova, the Turkmenistan Ambassador to China on February 21,2014. Ambassador Rustemova described the current situation of the humanities cooperation of Turkmenistan with China. She stressed that the relationship between the two countries had been raised to the strategic partnership since the Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Turkmenistan. In order to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, the Turkmenistan Embassy in China will develop various cultural exchange activities in 2014, so as to promote the people-to-people contact between the two countries. Vice President Li Jianping discribed the work plan of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) on the five countries of Central Asia including Turkmenistan. He expressed that CPAFFC paid great attention to the development of the people-to-people friendly cooperation relationship between China and Turkmenistan, and wished to further the humanities exchanges of the two countries, as well as to promote the cooperation of the both sides in various fields, especially the contact of friendship cities and regions. He also said that CPAFFC would like to support the work of the Turkmenistan Embassy in China and jointly organized correlative activities in future.

The Reception marking the 55th anniversary of the established diplomatic relations between China and Sudan hosted by Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and Sudanese Embassy to China was held on February 18, in Beijing. About 700 guests attended the reception, including Mr. Ma Biao, Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mrs. Samia Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Sudan, Mr. Zhang Ming, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abdelrahman Ahmed Elkhidir Altoum, Governor of Khartoum, Mr. Feng Zuoku, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Omer Eisa Ahmed, Sudanese Ambassador to China, representatives from relative ministries, enterprises, council members of China-Arab Friendship Association, diplomats from embassies of Sudan and other countries to China, Sudanese residents, students, and media representatives in Beijing.   Feng Zuoku said in his remarks that Sudan is the one of the earliest African and Arab states which established diplomatic ties with China. During the past 55 years, the bilateral relationship has been developing smoothly, friendship has been deeply rooted in the minds of two peoples. In recent years, two sides continues to achieve new progress in promoting the friendly cooperation in all areas. The good communications and coordinations on the international and regional issues not only are conducive to safeguarding bilateral common issues, but also making positive contributions for strengthening of solidarity and progress among developing countries.     Omer Eisa Ahmed said in his address that China plays an important role in Sudanese foreign policy. Sudanese government has been always active in developing relations with China. Sundanese leaders know clearly about the important international status of China. China is an important partner and strong supporter for Sudan to strive for peace, development and stability. During the past 55 years, the bilateral relations never went backwards, suspended nor got nervous, on the contrary, under the common concerns from leaders of our two countries, the bilateral relation has been continuously making progress, prosperity and development.    The FDC activity for commemorating the 55th anniversary of China-Sudan diplomatic ties was also held on the reception. Sudanese artists gave excellent performances together with Chinese artists for celebrating the anniversary.  

The CPAFFC Spring Festival Concert 2014, jointly organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the National Centre of the Performing Arts (NCPA), and Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film & TV, was held at the Multi-functional Theatre of NCPA on February 18, 2014. Over two hundred foreign diplomats from more than seventy countries and regions came to the concert at the invitation of the CPAFFC, which made the concert, for friends home and abroad, a chance to enjoy China’s traditional arts and a meeting point to enhance their friendship. In her greetings, President Li Xiaolin thanked all the embassies and friends from various circles for the support during the past year for the association and extended the heartfelt new-year greetings to all the guests present. Hosted by Yang Lan and co-starred by famous singer Dai Yuqiang, Jamyang Dolma, as well as artists from Shanghai Chinese Orchestra and the Centre Conservatory of Music, the concert started with traditional Chinese chime bell song New Year Overture and came to be a wonderful performance for the audience, presenting the Chinese folk music not only in traditional way but by modern stage techniques. Uyunqimg, Vice-Chairperson of the Standing Committee of  the National People''''s Congress, and Gu Xiulian, adviser to the 9th National Council of the CPAFFC have also come and watched the performance, and celebrated the festival with guests both home and broad.

On February 13, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang met with Mme.Ginni Rometty, President and CEO of IBM Corporation in Beijing. President Li Xiaolin of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries attended the meeting. Vice Premier Wang said China would stick to reform and opening-up, and promised to offer an open, transparent and equal competition environment for foreign investors. He said he hoped IBM would build closer and long-term strategic cooperative ties with China.

Deputy Director-General of Department of American and Oceanian Affairs, Mr. Ji Yongjun met with the Australian Chinese Entrepreneur and philanthropist, Mr. Wei Jicheng, in Consulate-General of China in Sydney on February 11, 2014. Mr. Ji addressed the work objectives of CPAFFC and its donation projects, such as solar energy stoves placed in the poverty-stricken mountainous areas in Qinghai and other places. He wishes to establish close contacts with Mr. Wei’s work team for future projects to improve the living standard of local people in mountainous area. Mr. Wei expressed his pleasure in meeting with the friends from CPAFFC and stressed his willingness to contribute to the future charity projects involving poverty-stricken mountainous areas.  Mr. Wei was born in the city of Jieyang, Guangdong Province. The outstanding Australian Chinese entrepreneur is the CEO of the Australian ABC Paper Industry Company. He received Australian National Business Award in 2013, and has been donating money and materials to the Chinese social charity on regular basis.

The reception marking 50th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and France was held at Great Hall of the People. Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Claude Bartolone, President of French National Assembly attended and addressed the reception. In his address, Zhang Dejiang said, on the same date 50 years ago, the Chinese and French governments declared the establishment of the diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level of the two countries. This great important historical event is a mile stone in the history of the contact between the Chinese and French people. The establishment of China-France diplomatic ties initiated a new era for the friendly relation of the two great countries, and set a new model of peaceful coexistence for countries with different social systems, as well as produced profound and far-reaching influence to the international strategic pattern. Zhang Dejiang recalled the development of process of China-France relation. He indicated that, China-France relation always lead the China’s relationship with western countries. Among China’s relations, China-France relation contained many No.1s, which was the concentrated expression of the strategic, epoch and global characteristics of China-France relation. Zhang Dejiang emphasized that, China and France were facing new opportunities in deepening comprehensive strategic partnership. As the Chinese President Xi Jinping indicated when he met with the French President Hollande, China and France should be prior strategic partner under the new situation, supporting each other, deepening cooperation, and walking on the all-win road of countries with different political systems and cultural tradition. China and France should keep respecting each other, consolidate mutual trust, deepen strategic cooperation, constantly enrich the content of China-France comprehensive strategic partnership. They should uphold the all-win cooperation, widen the range and deepen the depth for their cooperation, as well as turn the potential cooperation to the practical result. They should also stick to strengthening the friendly contact, lead and promote the blend of Eastern and Western culture, and pass the torch of China-France friendship from generation to generation. They should insist on communication and negotiation, strengthen the coordination on global issues and international affairs, support each other and jointly build harmonious world. If China and France respect each other''''s core interests and major concerns, insist on cooperation ideal of mutual benefit, all-win, openness, inclusiveness and common development, it is believed that  the bilateral relationship of the two countries will be even more stable and predictable. Let’s join hands and create brighter future for China-France relationship. Claude Bartolone said in his address, 50 years ago, the significance of the establishment of France-China ties was beyond the scope of bilateral relationship, but influential of the world. It inherited the French diplomatic tradition of independence, and set a demonstration in the western world.Since the diplomatic ties established, France-China relationship has been deepening constantly; the two sides has developed all-around cooperation in fields of politics, economy, culture, science and technology. In the future, the two countries should keep their eyes on long-term development of bilateral relation, strengthening political dialogue, extending economic and trading cooperation and furthering nongovernmental exchanges. At the reception, Zhang Dejiang presented the painting album commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations to Bartolone. A unveiling ceremony of commemorating stamps was held. A choir of The China National Children''''s Center performed the national songs of China and France. Around 300 friendly personages from all circles of China and France were present at the reception.

On January 22nd, 2014, at the invitation of the Cuban Embassy in China, Xie Yuan, the vice president of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and China-Cuba Friendship Association (CCFA), attended the reception commemorating 161st anniversary of the Cuban national hero José Martí''''s Birth, and met with H.E. Mr. Alberto Jesús Blanco Silva, the Cuba ambassador to China . Vice president Xie Yuan said that José Martí was not only the national hero of Cuba, but also one of the well-known leaders of the independence movement of Latin-America to the Chinese people. He felt it a great pleasure to attend the reception on behalf of CPAFFC and CCFA, and thanked Ambassador Alberto Jesús Blanco Silva for his warmly invitation. Vice president Xie introduced the work of friendship with Cuba done by CPAFFC and CCFA recently, and the preparations for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of  CPAFFC. He also invited Ambassador Alberto Jesús Blanco Silva and the delegation of the Cuban people''''s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to attend the celebration activities. Vice president Xie hoped that the both sides further strengthen the cooperation and innovation of the forms of exchange, so as to consolidate the traditional friendship between the two peoples. Ambassador Alberto Jesús Blanco Silva thanked Vice President Xie Yuan for his special presence and accepted the invitation gladly. He briefed José Martí’s life and the situation of Cuba’s development, as well as the contributions made by the Cuban people on the people-to-people friendship between the two countries. He hoped to strengthen the contact with CPAFFC, broaden the area of cooperation for the both sides, continually study the advanced experience and promote the common social and economic development of the two counties. During the activity, Vice President Xie Yuan also had friendly exchanges with the ambassadors of Uruguay, Costa Rica and Venezuela to China. He expressed that the CPAFFC wish to work with the Latin-American embassies in China to make continuous efforts on further developing the people-to-people friendship between China and Latin-American countries. All the envoys agreed and expected to deepen people-to-people friendly relation with China.