On March 11, CPAFFC Vice President Lin Yi met with H.E. Dhia Khaled, Ambassador of Tunisia to China. Madame Lin Yi welcomed Ambassador Khalid, and briefed him on friendly exchanges of the CPAFFC with Tunisia in recent years. She stated that Tunisia is an important participator in jointly building the Belt and Road. The CPAFFC is willing to maintain communication and cooperation with the Tunisian Embassy to further bilateral cooperation in local governments and people-to-people exchanges under the framework of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to further mutual understanding and promote common development. Ambassador Khaled stressed that Tunisia has always applauded the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and formally joined the BRI in 2018. Tunisia hopes to strengthen its connection and mutually beneficial cooperation with China for common development. He highly appreciated the CPAFFC for its important contributions in furthering people-to-people friendship and cooperation between Tunisia and China, and expressed his willingness to continue to support the friendship associations in both countries in their efforts to promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the areas of youth, culture, local governments, etc. Deputy Director General Li Hai of the Asia & Africa Department of CPAFFC was present at the meeting.         Photographed by Tu Lili    

At the invitation of the Colombia-China Association for Relations and the Dominican Federation of Municipalities, Ma Peihua, former Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and President of the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Friendship Association (CHILAFA), headed a delegation to visit Columbia and the Dominican Republic from March 3 to 11, 2019. He was accompanied by Xie Yuan, Vice President of the CPAFFC and Vice President of the CHILAFA. During his visit to Columbia, Ma Peihua met respectively Peñalosa, Mayor of Bogota, Mosquera, President of the Council of Bogota, Mejia, President of the Council of Medellin, Moreno, President of the Colombia-China Friendship Association, and Ruiz, President of the Colombia-China Association for Relations. Li Nianping, Chinese Ambassador to Columbia, accompanied the delegation to attend some of the meetings. During the stay in the Dominican Republic, Ma Peihua met respectively with Pared, President of the Senate of the Dominican Republic, Diaz, Minister of Sports and Recreation, and Hidalgo, President of the Dominican Federation of Municipalities. He also attended the reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in the Dominican Republic for exchanges between the Dominican friends from all walks of life and the CHILAFA delegation. Zhang Run, Chinese Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, accompanied the delegation to attend the above programs.                 

“In Celebration of International Working Women’s Day·China-Japan Friendship Spring Ikebana Workshop” was held by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and China-Japan Friendship Association (CJFA) on March 6 in Beijing. Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of CPAFFC, Mme. YOKOI EIKO, wife of Japanese Ambassador to China delivered speeches respectively. Mme. Lin Yi and Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice Presidents of CPAFFC, Mr. Li Xikui, General Secretary of CPAFFC and Mme. Wang Xiuyun, Vice President of CJFA, and others attended the activity. President Li Xiaolin said, during the past two thousands history of friendly exchange, the cultural mutual learning between China and Japan produced many forms of art which were popular with the two peoples. Cultural mutual learning could communicate minds and enhance understanding of the two peoples. In recent years, CPAFFC made endeavor to host large-scale cultural performances including, the exhibition of Chinese Characters: A Legacy and Marvel Perfected over Three Millennia, the dance drama Crested Ibises, which were very popular with the two peoples. After co-hosting China-Japan Friendship Spring Tea Party with Japanese Urasenke Chado Tradition in last April, CPAFFC organized China-Japan Friendship Spring Ikebana Workshop this year, so as to attract more people engaging in the Sino-Japanese cultural exchange through this new exchange platform. Sino-Japanese relations currently confronted with important opportunities to further develop under the base of returning normal track. CPAFFC would like to take culture as a bond to connect more people in the two countries, pool greater strength and push the cause of the friendship between China and Japan for improvement. Moreover, CPAFFC expected the women in the two countries to play their advantages to make more contributions for the development of Sino-Japanese relations. Mme. YOKOI EIKO said, on the occasion of International Working Women’s Day, CPAFFC held China-Japan Friendship Spring Ikebana Workshop, which exerted a far-reaching significance. Making all women full of confidence and pride in life and work, and playing more important role in society are the topics two governments and societies concerned. Continuing to develop cultural exchange would benefit to improve the sense of happiness for the women of the two countries and also deepen and expand the cornerstone of the friendly relations between China and Japan. Mr. Wang Zhongyi, the member of National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the editor-in-chief of People’s China delivered a keynote speech on Chinese Pai Praising Chinese Solar Term. Mme. HORIE MORIKA, the Vice Professor of ikenobo origin of ikebana made a speech on Japanese flower arrangement and display ikebana arrangements. Over 80 personages including women representatives from all walks of life of the two countries, Japanese overseas students and media attended the activity.               

On March 5, Madame Lin Yi, Vice President of the CPAFFC,   met with H.E. Abdellahi El Vilaly, Mauritanian new Ambassador to China. Lin Yi congratulated Ambassador Vilaly on his assumption of the new post and briefly introduced the friendly exchanges of the CPAFFC with Mauritania in recent years. She said that Mauritania is an important partner of China in jointly contributing the Belt and Road Initiative. The CPAFFC is willing to maintain communication and coordination with the Mauritanian Embassy to further local and people-to-people bilateral cooperation under the framework of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation with the purpose of promoting the implementation of the important consensus reached by the state leaders of the two countries. Ambassador Vilaly thanked the CPAFFC for making contributions in people-to-people connectivity between China and Mauritania. He said, Mauritania highly recognizes the concept of the Belt and Road Initiative plays a bigger role based on its geographical advantages. The Embassy of Mauritania in China will continue to support the two countries’ friendship associations in conducting more exchanges and cooperation in the areas of local governments, economy and trade, youth and culture, etc.           Photographed by Fang Ying

At the invitation of the CPAFFC, the Japanese FUTURE health care delegation, headed by Takasaki Ken, Chairman of Japan Health Care Society and Honorary Professor of Tokyo Women's Medical University, visited Beijing, Fuzhou and Xiamen from February 26 to March 2. The 6-member delegation consists of renowned experts on medicine, medical equipment and medical education in Japan. During the group’s stay in Beijing, Vice President Song Jingwu met with Takasaki Ken. The delegation also held discussions with the relevant heads of the National Health Commission of China and visited Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University (new campus in Fengtai District), deepening their understanding of the latest development and achievement of China’s health care and exchanging views on future medical cooperation between the two countries. Song Jingwu meets with the delegation Meeting with the National Health Commission of China Visiting Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University During the stay in Fujian Province, Li Hong, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Fujian Province, and Shao Yuqin, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Xiamen, met with the delegation respectively. The delegation held discussions with Fujian Provincial Health Commission and Fujian Food and Drug Administration, conducted field trips to Fuling Golden Sun Health and Elderly Care Service Center, Xiamen Caitang Jincuobian Nursing Home and other elderly care institutions, and visited Xiamen Biology Medicine Industrial Park, Ogawa Smart Healthcare Technology Group, Xiamen Tasman Bioengineering Co., Ltd. as well as other health care enterprises and industrial bases. Meeting with Fujian Provincial Health Commission and Fujian Food and Drug Administration Visiting Fuling Golden Sun Health and Elderly Care Service Center Visiting Xiamen Biology Medicine Industrial Park Visiting Xiamen Caitang Jincuobian Nursing Home Visiting the Chinese herbal medicine plantation of Xiamen Tasman Bioengineering Co., Ltd. The members of the delegation said that they are pleased with the rich, substantial and customized programs of the visit. Through the meetings and field trips, they have personally experienced the tremendous achievements China has made in health care and the great efforts made by the Chinese government to improve people's livelihood, for which they highly respect. Japan has struggled to ward off an aging and childless society for a long time and have both gained successful experiences and learned lessons in health care, elderly care and nursing. China and Japan share a lot of similarities in these fields. They hoped that both the positive and negative experiences of Japan will be helpful to China. With great potentials for cooperation in health care and nursing, it is expected that Japan and China will strengthen exchanges and cooperation and bring together each other's wisdom to benefit the two countries and their peoples.          

On March 1, Vice President Lin Yi met with H. E. G. Batsukh, Chairman of Mongolia-China Friendship Association (MCFA) and Former Mongolian Ambassador to China and H. E. D. Gankhuyag, Mongolian Ambassador to China. Lin Yi welcomed the Mongolian guests and congratulated Mr. Batsukh to be elected the new Chairman of MCFA. Lin Yi said that CPAFFC cherished the friendly and cooperative relations with MCFA as well as the Embassy of Mongolia to China and stood ready to make concerted efforts for the exchanges and cooperation in culture, local government and other fields on the occasion of 70th Anniversary of China-Mongolia Diplomatic Ties this year. Chairman Batsukh recalled the exchanges with CPAFFC when serving as the Mongolian Ambassador and indicated that MCFA would strengthen the exchanges and cooperation with CPAFFC in the future, especially to jointly hold the people-to-people activities on the introduction of bilateral histories, cultures and current development, thus to further the mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples.. Ambassador Gankhuyag said that the Embassy of Mongolia to China would fully support the two people-to-people friendship associations’ cooperation and make in-depth discussion with CPAFFC regarding the celebration activities on 70th Anniversary of Mongolia-China Diplomatic Ties.         Photographed by Wu Jiong

On March 1, 2019, Vice President Xie Yuan met with Mr. Tapusalaia Terry Toomata, Samoan Ambassador to China. The two sides exchanged ideas on advancing local cooperation between China and Samoa. Vice President Xie Yuan expressed sincere gratitude to Ambassador Toomata for his positive contributions to the people-to-people friendly exchanges and cooperation of local governments between China and Samoa over the past ten years. Vice President Xie said CPAFFC was delighted to know that relevant cities of Samoa had conducted exchange of visits and contacts with Kunming and Xi’an. We hoped both sides could carry on more exchanges and deepen their mutual understanding,  so as to lay a solid foundation for the possible establishment of friendship-city relations. Ambassador Toomata said that Samoa had preliminary exchanges and discussions on establishing friendship-city relations with Kunming, the city of spring, and Xi’an, a city abundance with cultural and historical heritage. The embassy would follow up with it, to further strengthen the friendship between our two peoples and promote common development. Mr. Hao Zhongwei, Deputy Director General of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs, was present at the meeting.         Photographed by Zhang Weixiao

Mr. Xie Yuan, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mr. Fran?ois Ayodele Jackman, Barbados Ambassador to China on March 1, 2019. Vice President Xie Yuan expressed welcome to the Ambassador Jackman and made a brief introduction about the exchanges in the fields of local governments and culture CPAFFC had developed. He also said that CPAFFC is willing to actively push the establishment of the friendly cities between China and Barbados, so as to achieve zero breakthrough. Ambassador Jackman thanked Vice President Xie Yuan for taking time to meet him and expressed that Barbados Embassy in China would keep close contact with CPAFFC and further promote the friendly exchange of the people-to-people of the two countries.            

At the invitation of the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, Vice President Song Jingwu visited Tokyo and Hokkaido Prefecture from February 20 to 24, 2019. During the visit, he met with Mori Yoshiro, former Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Suzuki Daichi, Commissioner of Japan Sports Agency, Takahashi Harumi, Governor of Hokkaido Prefecture, Furuoya Mitsuo , Secretary General of the National Governors' Association of Japan, Akimoto Katsuhiro, Mayor of Sapporo, Kikuya Hideyoshi, President of Hokkaido Association of City Mayors and Mayor of Date, and Irie Kan, Vice President of the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, exchanging views on how to further strengthen the friendly exchanges between the two countries in the fields of local governments, mass sports and youth. Song Jingwu introduced the events and achievements of friendly exchanges conducted by the CPAFFC in the fields of local governments and youth in the past year. He said that last year marked 40th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with President Xi Jinping for several times, and exchanged visits with Premier Li Keqiang, which had been long since their last round of exchanges. The relations between the two countries have returned to a normal track. The two countries designate this year as a "China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year" and will host the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and 2022 Winer Olympics in Beijing respectively, which will bring new opportunities for the cultural exchanges of youth and sports between the two countries. The CPAFFC hopes to work with various sectors of Japan in an innovative way, to carry out more extensive and practical exchanges among grassroots, especially young people, on the theme of the Olympics.   Mori Yoshiro, former Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, said that Japan and China are both sports powers and many of their exchanges in sports went down in history of the development of bilateral relations and even international relations. He hopes that the two countries will seize the opportunity to jointly promote the development of the Olympic Movement in East Asia and strengthen mutual understanding and friendship among the peoples. Suzuki Daichi, Commissioner of Japan Sports Agency, said that he is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese side in sports talent training and mass sports in the future. Takahashi Harumi, Governor of Hokkaido Prefecture, said that both Japanese prime minister and Chinese premier attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the 3rd China-Japan Governors’ Forum in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The forum was a great success. The Japanese local governments will make more efforts to vigorously carry out cooperation in the fields of mass sports and youth exchanges in the future.            

On February 22, the CPAFFC Vice President Mme. Lin Yi met with Mrs. Winnie N. Chibesakunda, the Zambian Ambassador to China. Mme. Lin Yi said that the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was successfully held last year, which pointed out the directions for China-Africa cooperation and development in the following three years. The CPAFFC will actively implement the important consensus reached by the two presidents of China and Zambia during the summit, and promote local government exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. The CPAFFC is willing to work together with the Zambian Embassy in China to enhance local government cooperation and twinning program. Ambassador Chibesakunda said that she is grateful for the CPAFFC’s long-term efforts in promoting Zambia-China friendship and local government exchanges. Mme. Lin’s pending visit to Zambia in March aims to implement the consensus reached by both presidents, which is to facilitate the establishment of more friendship cities. With regard to this visit, she said that to her knowledge, the Ministry of Local Government and Housing of Zambia is actively coordinating and preparing for it,  and the embassy will also offer strong support as well. Mr. Li Hai, Deputy Director General of the Department of Asian and African Affairs, was present at the meeting.