On April 22, Vice President Xie Yuan met with President Stephen Lakis of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation(SLLF). Vice President Xie said  that China-U.S. Sub-national Legislature Exchange Mechanism has played a positive role in the bilateral sub-national exchanges. CPAFFC, Hebei Provincial People’s Congress and SLLF are working hard on the upcoming Fourth China-U.S.Sub-national Legislatures Cooperation Forum in Shijiazhuang, capital city of Hebei Province, this year.  He hoped that, with concerted efforts, the forum will bring more practical cooperation at the sub-national level contributing to China-U.S. relations. President Lakis said that sub-national cooperation is an important part of U.S.-China relationship. SLLF would like to deepen the cooperation with CPAFFC to further the exchanges between the two countries’ subnational legislatures and drive the subnational cooperation into more fields.          

Vice President Xie Yuan met with a delegation from American Chinese Restaurant Institute in Beijing on April 19. Vice President Xie briefed the guests on the major tasks the CPAFFC has been performing in promoting people-to-peoples exchanges, especially in the cultural sector, between China and the US. He said, food culture is the major component of the cultural identities of every nation in the world. The CPAFFC would like to work with the American Chinese Restaurant Institute to, by means of food culture exchanges, increase mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries. Hu Xiaojun, Chairman of American Chinese Restaurant Institute, said he would like to take the trip to China as an opportunity to build connections and make friends through food culture. By increasing exchanges in food culture, he hoped to strengthen people-to-people friendship and continue the prosperity of Chinese food abroad.            

 Mr. Tang Jiaxuan, president of China-Japan Friendship Association (CJFA) met in Beijing with Mr. KONO YOHE, president of the Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan (JAPIT) and former speaker of the House of Representatives, and his delegation on April 18. Mr. Song Jingwu, vice president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Mr. Wu Jianghao, Director General of the Department of Asian Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and Mr. OHASHI YOJI, vice president of JAPIT and adviser of All Nippon Airways Co. Ltd, attended the meeting. President Tang Jiaxuan spoke highly of the contributions President KONO YOHE and JAPIT had made for a long time to improving the Sino-Japanese relations. He said, under the common efforts of the governments and various circles of the two countries, China-Japan relations had returned to normal track since 2018. The leaders of the two countries had reached important consensus after several meetings. It is also inspiring that both sides develop cooperation in bilateral and multilateral fields. As the second and third countries in economy, China and Japan deepen cooperation and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, which are of important significance to peace, stability and development in Asia and the world. President Tang Jiaxuan expected that both sides should make common efforts to cherish the hard-won momentum of improvement in bilateral relations, promote new progress in the exchanges and cooperation of the two countries in various fields and achieve more results. President KONO YOHE said that the two countries made great efforts on improving the bilateral ties. I am glad to see that the Sino-Japanese relations had returned to normal track last year and had made a series of important achievements. President KONO YOHE also expressed, he and JAPIT would work harder and continue making contributions to improving the bilateral relations, and nurture China-Japan friendship among future generations, so as to enable the friendship between both sides to pass on from generation to generation and the fruits of the cooperation of the two countries to benefit Asia and the world.          

On April 15th, Mr Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mr Jaap Post, Honorary Chairman of Friendship-Association Netherlands-China (VNC). The two sides exchanged ideas on preparing for the Second China Dutch Friendship Conference for Provinces and Municipalities. Mr Lv Hongwei, Deputy Director-General of the Department of European and Asian Affairs, attended the meeting.        

Mr. Xie Yuan, vice president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met with Mr. Luis Monsalve, new Columbian ambassador to China on April, 15. Vice President Xie Yuan welcomed the Ambassador Luis Monsalve to his new post in China and made an introduction about the tasks of CPAFFC and the recent work. He also hoped that CPAFFC should continue keeping friendly relationship with Columbian Embassy in China to promote the exchanges and cooperation of the two countries in the fields of friendly cities, economic and trade, people-to-people and culture and etc., in order to enhance people’s friendship and improve the bilateral relations. Ambassador Luis Monsalve thanked Vice President Xie Yuan for taking time to meet them. He said, Columbian Embassy in China always regards CPAFFC as important partner, therefore, Ambassador Luis Monsalve hoped that Columbia should strengthen the local exchanges with China, promote the mutual understanding of the peoples, deepen the pragmatic cooperation of the two countries in the fields of economic and trade as well as culture, and learn from successful experience China had achieved in the governance of China, such as poverty alleviation and other aspects. Mr. Ji Yongjun, Deputy Director General of Department of American and Oceanian Affairs of CPAFFC, attended the meeting.              

Mr. Hu Sishe, vice president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mr. Han Man-jong, president of Korea Bicycle Council, and his delegation on April, 11. President Han Man-jong made an introduction about Korea Bicycle Council, which is under the Ministry of Public Administration and Security of Korea charge. It aims to raise the citizen’s awareness of environmental protection and improve the environment in Korea through a green and low-carbon lifestyle. Around 3.8 million members have registered. The visiting to CPAFFC this time aimed to establish the cooperation with CPAFFC and made common contributions to environmental protection of the two countries. Vice President Hu Sishe extended welcome to President Han, Man-jong and his delegation. He said, as a national competitive sport, riding bicycle is more suitable for the public to take part in, moreover, as a method of transportation, bicycle meets with the concept of low-carbon and environmental protection for the people. Both sides should take this activity as an opportunity to promote the exchanges in the fields of culture, sport, environmental protection and etc. between China and Korea. He hoped that China should learn more experience from Korea in environmental protection and could be improved in relevant fields after the cooperation of the two countries. Vice President Hu Sishe also wished “Bicycle Riding on World Earth Day” to be held in Korea this month a complete success. After meeting, under the witness of Vice President Hu Sishe, President Han, Man-jong and Director General Zhang Juxiang signed cooperation memorandum. Mr. Jungpil Chun, Secretary General of Korean Social Security Prevention Association, Mr. Hu Yang, Deputy Director General of China Service Center for Friendship and Cooperation with Foreign Countries (CSC) of CPAFFC, attended the meeting.           Photographed by Song Zifan    

From April 8th to 10th, Vice President Song Jingwu was invited to attend the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Promotion in Tokyo, Japan. During the events, he exchanged views with Japan-China Friendship Center, Keidanren Japan Business Federation and other institutions and guests on facilitating people to people friendship and substantive cooperation between China and Japan. This promotion, co-hosted by the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, the Government of HongKong Special Administrative Region and the Government of Macao Special Administrative Region, was aimed to introduce the comprehensive advantages of the Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and together promoting the building-up of the Greater Bay Area through strengthening exchanges and cooperation. Over 1200 people from government departments, chambers of commerce and enterprises in Guangdong, Hongkong, Macao and Japan attended the events.  Attending the Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Dinner Party Vice President Song Jingwu briefed the leaders of relevant institutions situations of the promotion and the building-up of Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay in their meetings. He said that after returning to the normal track, the current bilateral relations have been in steady improvements with exchanges and cooperation in various fields in continuous strengthening. This year is of great importance in bringing China-Japan relations to a new high, the CPAFFC is willing to cooperate with all sectors in Japan, making a good use of this opportunity, to further facilitate friendly exchanges and substantive cooperation in economic, cultural, youth and local government spheres and contribute to the long-term steady development of the bilateral relations. Meeting with KUBATA MASAKAZU, Secretary General of Keidanren Japan Business Federation           

On Apr 9, in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between China and DPRK and the 1st anniversary of the first state visit to China by Kim Jong-un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission (SAC) of the DPRK. The opening ceremony of the exhibition on photos, books and paintings of DPRK was hold in Beijing. The exhibition was co-organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Chinese-DPRK Friendship Association, DPRK Committee for Cultural Liaison with Foreign Countries and DPRK-Chinese Friendship Association and sponsored by DPRK Mansudae Art Studio. The exhibition, under the theme of the glorification of the traditional China-DPRK friendship with forms of photos, books and paintings, showed the common ideals and faiths and deep revolutionary friendship cultivated by the older generations of the two countries as well as the mutual trust and support from each other in the history. Vice President Lin Yi of CPAFFC, Mr. Pak Kyong Il, Chairman of the DPRK-China Friendship Association and Vice Chairman of the DPRK Committee for Cultural Liaison with Foreign Countries and, Mr. Jong Hyon U, Charge d'Affaires of DPRK's Embassy in China, President Wang Yanling of Beijing   Seven Star Group attended the opening ceremony and made speeches respectively.    Vice President Lin Yi of CPAFFC made a speech Chairman Mr. Pak Kyong Il made a speech   Mr. Jong Hyon U made a speech  President Wang Yanling made a speech          

Vice President Xie Yuan attended and delivered a key-note speech at the 2019 Forum on Chinese-American Civilian Diplomacy, co-organized by Shanghai Institute of American Studies, Institute of International Relations and Institute of History of SASS, and Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association, in Shanghai on April 9. Vice President extended his congratulations to opening of the forum. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 40 years ago, China-US relations has continued to grow through trials and tribulations, achieving historical development. The maintenance of a sound China-US relations put at stake not only the well-being of Chinese and Americans, but also that of people all over the world. People-to-people diplomacy works on increasing people’s mutual understanding and trust, highlighting interactive friendship which surpasses realistic political and economic interests. Thus it adds elements of stability into the relationship between states. When bilateral relations are met with difficulties, it is urgently needed to enrich the content, expand the horizon and innovate the means of people-to-people diplomacy, bringing new vigor and vitality into people-to-people diplomacy in a new era.        

Secretary General Li Xikui met with Barry R. Sedlik and Monique Luo, co-founders of Global Creative Cities Coalition(GC3), and David Zanatta, commissioner of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, City of Long Beach, California, USA, at the CPAFFC on April 3. Secretary General Li Xikui extended his welcome to the delegation. He briefed the guests on the major tasks of the CPAFFC in promoting friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries, in particular, by means of friendship cities exchanges. Barry R. Sedlik said, the GC3 is dedicated to promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between cities on global basis. It plans to work with the city of Long Beach to host a Ping Pong Tournament and Expo and other events within this year. Secretary General Li Xikui said, the CPAFFC would like to strengthen cooperation with GC3 to make tangible progress in youth and sports exchanges between China and the United States.