Welcome Reception in Honor of His Excellency Mr. Pranab Mukherjee President of India jointly hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Embassy of India to China was held in Beijing on 25th of May. Chinese Vice President Mr. Li Yuanchao, former Vice Chairman of National People’s Congress Standing Committee & President of China India Friendship Association Mr. Jiang Zhenghua, former State Councilor Mr. Dai Bingguo, President of Development Research Centor of the State Council Mr. Li Wei as well as 200 personages from various circles attended the receoption. Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the CPAFFC presided over the reception.  In his speech Vice President Mr. Li Yuanchao warmly welcomed Mr. Mukherjee to visit China.He said that linked by rivers and mountains, the friendly exchanges between China and India could be traced far back in histroy. The acient Silk Road witnessed the exchanges of mutual learning between our two cultures. Recently, cooperations between our two countries had been in fast track and was still growing fast. China Heat and India Heat had become the new trend of friendly exchanges and mutual learning. Chinese government attached great importance to China-India relationship and was ready to open up a new chapter of China-India relationship with a closer development partnership as its core.  President Mr. Mukherjee also made a speech in the reception. He thanked Chinese Vice President Mr. Li Yuanchao for attending the receoption and thanked the CPAFFC for holding the reception in his honor. He expressed deep apprecation for the valuable contribution of the CPAFFC in fostering regular exchanges between our two peoples for over six decades. He said, China-India relationship was the priority among priorities, and India would like to work with China to enhance our mutual understanding, enrich our bilateral discourse and conduct all-round cooperation with the spirit of friendship and equality.  Before the reception, Chinese Vice President Mr. Li Yuanchao had a short meeting with Indian President Mr. Mukherjee, President Li Xiaolin, Vice Foreign Minsiter Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Assistant Foreign Minsiter Mr. Kong Xuanyou and CPAFFC Vice President Lin Yi attended the meeting. 

On May 23rd, Vice president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) Mrs. Lin Yi met with Mr. Mustapha Amhal，the President of the Federation of Moroccan Chambers of Commerce Industry and Service (FMCCIS). Vice President Mrs. Lin Yi briefed to Mr. Amhal about the people-to-people friendship exchanges carried out between the CPAFFC and Morocco and other Arab countries, and expressed willingness to cooperate with Morocco side to further promote the economic, trade and cultural exchanges. Mr. Amhal said that the recent visit of Moroccan King Mohamed VI to China has put forward the bilateral relations to a new stage of development. The FMCCIS is willing to cooperate with the CPACC, through holding culture week or other activities to publicize each others’ products and culture, promote establishment of more friendship cities as well as exchange of visits between young entrepreneurs from both countries, so as to enhance mutual understanding and pragmatic cooperation. 

On May 23rd, Mr Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met with Janice Dickson, President of Scotland-China Association (SCA). Vice President Song extended congratulations on its upcoming 50th anniversary celebration. He briefed Dickson on the recent work carried out by the CPAFFC related to the UK，and thanked SCA for its efforts in enhancing friendship and understanding between the Chinese and British People, and between the Chinese and Scottish people in particular, over the past 50 years since its establishment. On behalf of the CPAFFC, Song presented a crystal plate to Dickson to commemorate SCA’s 50th anniversary. Dickson thanked the CPAFFC for supporting its work. She briefly introduced SCA’s work in facilitating exchanges among Chinese and British young people. Deputy Director General of the European and Asian Department Ms Zhang Ruoning attended the meeting.

Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mr. MOTOYUKI SAKAI, Executive Officer of SUMITOMO CHEMICAL and New Chairman of the Board of SUMITOMO CHEMICAL(CHINA) Co., Ltd. in Beijing on May 19. Vice President Song congratulated MOTOYUKI SAKAI on taking his office and said that SUMITOMO CHEMICAL had been engaging in promoting the economic and trade cooperation between China and Japan for many years. Mr. YONEKURA HIROMASA also made outstanding contributions to promoting the economic cooperation and the friendly cause of the two countries when he was the President of SUMITOMO CHEMICAL, especially when he worked as the President of the Keidanren Japan Business Federation. Vice President Song hoped that SUMITOMO CHEMICAL could achieve better development in China and would play a key role in the friendly cause of the two countries in the future. Chairman MOTOYUKI SAKAI said SUMITOMO CHEMICAL paid high attention to the pragmatic cooperation with China and would further expand the business in China in the future. He would like to make jointly efforts with CPAFFC and other relevant Chinese organizations on developing the economic cooperation and the friendly relationship between China and Japan. Mr. Yuan Mindao, Director General of the Department of Japanese Affairs of CPAFFC, Mrs. Zhu Dan, Deputy Director General of the Department of Japanese Affairs of CPAFFC, attended the meeting.

Reception Celebrating the 65th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Pakistan and the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of China-Pakistan Friendship Association,jointly sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), China-Pakistan Friendship Association(CPFA) and Pakistan Embassy, was held  on 18th May, 2016. Madame Shen Yueyue, Vice Chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the CPC, Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hu Sishe, Vice President of the CPAFFC, Mr. Sha Zukang, President of the CPFA, Rear Admiral Li Ji, Deputy Chief ofthe Office for International Military Cooperation of Ministry of National Defence and Mr. Masood Khalid, Pakistan ambassador as well as other 120 guests attended the reception. Madame Shen Yueyue had a short meeting with Ambassador Khalid before the reception.

On May 18th, Premier Li Keqiang met with Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed and his delegation in Beijing. Premier Li welcomed Prince Alwaleed to visit China. Li pointed out that Prince Alwaleed and his company had a variety of investments in China and had established close ties with Chinese companies, thus making a great contribution to the development of bilateral economic and trade relations. China appreciates Saudi Arabian government and its business circle’s support and participation of “One Belt, One Road” initiative, and is willing to deepen bilateral cooperation in various sectors. Li also hoped Prince Alwaleed and CPAFFC can actively work together to carry out charity work and people-to-people friendly contacts to further enhance people’s friendship between China and Saudi Arabia.  Alwaleed stated that Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to China-Saudi Arabia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and hopes to conduct bilateral exchanges and cooperation at different levels to achieve various fruitful results. Saudi Arabian companies including Kingdom Holding Company are willing to support and actively participate in the building of “One Belt, One Road” initiative. Alwaleed thanked CPAFFC for its thoughtful arrangements and expressed his willingness to conduct cooperation with CPAFFC in charity work and people-to-people exchanges to benefit the two peoples.

2016 “Spring of the Pomegranate Flower” --Cultural Exchanges Week between China and Republic of Korea, co-organized by the CPAFFC, Xi’an Municipal People’s Government, and city government of Jinju of the Republic of Korea, is held in Xi’an during May 14th to 17th. It coincides with the 2016 Silk Road International Expo and Twentieth Investment & Trade Forum for Cooperation between East & West China. There are Opening Ceremonty Show, Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition, Food Fair, and Adolescence & Youth Friendship Football Competition between the two countries. Vice President Hu Sishe delivers a speech in the Opening Ceremony Vice President Hu Sishe attended the opening ceremony held in the Xi’an Radio & TV Grand Theater in the evening of May 15th. During his speech, he stated that Xi’an is the starting point of Silk Road, which was of unique significance in the development of the Silk Road Economic Belt. On the basis of Xi’an and Jinju, the Week this year also included city of Quanzhou (China), the starting point of Maritime Silk Road as well as the coastal city of Namhae (Republic of Korea), which improved the influence of the event, in the mean time,  promoted the multi-dimentional cooperation between the two countries and friendship of the two peoples.  The Mayors of Xi’an and Jinju sign the Agreement of the Establishment of Friendship Cities between Xi’an and Jinju During the Opening Ceremony, Mr. Shangguan Jiqing, Mayor of Xi’an and Mr. Lee Chang Hee, Mayor of Jinju signed the Agreement on the Establishment of Friendship Cities between Xi’an and Jinju. Artists from the four cities jointly presented performances with perspective traditions and local features, meanwhile modern and fashion.  Dance co-performed by dancers from Chana and the Republic of Korea This is the ninth session of the event, which is featured with folk art and cultural exchanges. It is held once every year and rotated in Xi’an and Jinju. It has developed from a simple program production cooperation between two TV stations in Xi’an and Jinju into a comprehensive exchanges, including culture, sports and tourism , which leads to all-round cooperation between the two cities, in field of culture, education, trade and commerce, and tourism.  Traditional Dance from Jinju Acrobatic performance from Xi’an National instruments ensemble from Namhae Marionette performance from Quanzhou Male Group JJCC from the Republic of Korea End of the Opening Ceremony in the theme song When the Pomegranate Bloom 

On May 16th, deputy director general Hao Zhongwei met with 18 students from Harvard Kennedy School. Deputy director general Hao extended warm welcome to the delegation. He introduced the important role CPAFFC has played and the fruitful results it has achieved in people-people exchanges. He expected the delegation to learn more about China's development and understand its history and culture, as well as to find potential opportunities for the future cooperation between China and the U.S..  Student representative Joshua Welle thanked CPAFFC for all the great support to their China trip. He said it is not enough to know a country by reading books or magazines. Instead, one could know better about a country by visiting in person and by diving into its culture. 

 During a recent visit of the Omani Entrepreneurs’ Delegation to China organized by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) held the China Oman Business Dialogue in Shanghai and Guangzhou respectively, building a platform for enterprises from both countries to further bilateral economic and trade cooperation. On the morning of May 16th, co-sponsored by the CPAFFC, Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Shanghai Sub-Council, China Chamber of International Commerce Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai Federation of Industry & Commerce and OCCI, China Oman Business Dialogue was held at Intercontinental Shanghai Ruijin Hotel. Nearly 130 entrepreneurs from China and Oman attended the meeting. On the afternoon of May 18th, co-organized by the CPAFFC, Guangdong People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Guangdong Council for the Development Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises, Guangdong Federation of Industry & Commerce, CCPIT Guangdong and OCCI, the Guangdong-Oman Economic and Investment Meeting was held at Guangzhou White Swan Hotel. Around 180 entrepreneurs from Guangdong Province and Oman participated in the meeting. B2B talks were arranged at the activities between entrepreneurs from varied fields such as trade, health care, education, food, finance, real estate, port services, transportation, oil, and gas etc.

At the invitation of the CPAFFC, Mr. Kemal Baytas, Chairman of the Turkey-China Friendship Association, led a 10-member delegation to visit Beijing, Heilongjiang Province, Suzhou City of Jiangsu Province and Shanghai from May 7 to 15, 2016. During their stay in China, CPAFFC Vice President Lin Yi, Vice Governor of Heilongjiang Province Hu Yafeng, and Vice President of Shanghai People’s Friendship Association Jing Ying met with or hosted banquet for the delegation. Besides, Mayor of Dongcheng District of Beijing Li Xiaozhong met and signed an MOU on exchanges with Mayor of Cankaya of Ankara Alper Tasdelen.