Mme. Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met in Beijing with Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians’ union (JCFPU) delegation led by Mr. HAYASHI YOSHIMASA, president of JCFPU and former minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan on May, 5. Mr. Song Jingwu, vice President of CPAFFC, Mme. Zhu Dan, deputy director-general of Department of Japanese Affairs of CPAFFC, Mr. UENO ATSUSHI, political minister of Japanese Embassy in China and others attended the meeting. President Li Xiaolin extended warm welcome to the delegation and said that China and Japan are important neighbors and the friendly relationship of the two countries is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and the peoples. Last year marked 40th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for several times, and exchanged visits with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. With the joint efforts, the bilateral relations returned to normal track and achieved new results. This year marks 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and Japan’s new imperial era to begin on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes emperor, will be called Reiwa. She said that both sides should value the positive signs that the current Sino-Japanese relations showed and implement a series of consensus that the leaders of the two countries have reached, so as to ensure that bilateral relations run in the right direction. President Li said, as a national people’s organization engaged in people-to-people diplomacy of the People’s Republic of China, CPAFFC is always working for the friendship between peoples, organizes series of fine programs including China-Japan Governors Forum, the dance drama Crested Ibises and Chinese Characters: A Legacy and Marvel Perfected Over Three Millennia. This year marks China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year. 30,000 young people will be arranged for the exchanges and visits in the next five years. Last month, CPAFFC jointly organized the opening ceremony of China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year with Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the Second Belt and Road Forum for International and Cooperation with People’s Government of Beijing City. Looking to the future, CPAFFC would like to work together with Japanese personages and organizations from all walks of life, including JCFPU to develop friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation in various fields and cultivate new strength for China-Japan friendship, so as to realize the people-to-people ties and enable the friendship to pass on from generation to generation. HAYASHI YOSHIMASA said that it is pleasant for him to lead the first delegation to visit China after the beginning of a new era, Reiwa. It was inspiring that the Sino-Japanese relations had achieved a series of pragmatic results, including the bilateral ties showing positive sighs, the top leaders keeping close contact and more exchanges developed in various fields since last year. At present, the foreign affairs of ministers of the two countries attended the opening ceremony of Japan-China Youth Exchange Promotion Year, and the young people of the two countries confronted with important opportunities to further improve. JCFPU and CPAFFC had been keeping close contact. I also had meetings with President Li Xiaolin for several times and forged deep friendship. Therefore, JCFPU would like to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with CPAFFC to jointly make more contributions to improve the Sino-Japanese relations. There are 14 members of the Diet from ruling and opposition parties of Japan in the delegation. Photographed by Zeng Guangming

On April 25, President Li Xiaolin met with the Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis and her husband Markos Kounalakis. The spouse are invited to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. President Li thanked the the State of California for its support to the Forum, appreciated the important contribution made by former California Governor Jerry Brown, for his efforts in promoting California's friendly relationship with China, especially in the field of local cooperation. She also affirmed California's outstanding achievements in fighting against climate change. She pointed out that currently the China-US relationship is facing challenges, while the friendly exchanges between the two peoples can eliminate misunderstanding and enhance friendship, which will provide a key boost for the healthy development of bilateral relations. Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis echoed President Li’s view, saying that people all over the world share the same concept of happiness, that is everyone yearns for a peaceful, safe and stable living environment. Only through sincere cooperation and common development can governments deliver benefits to their people. She hopes to lay a solid foundation for better understanding and friendly cooperation between the next generation of our two countries by promoting the youth exchanges between California and China. Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis attended the Belt and Road CEO Conference as well as the Thematic Forum on Sub-national Corporation and delivered speeches at both events. Photographed by Yang Xuehe

Mme. Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met in China National Convention Center with Mr. ISHII TAKAKAZU, governor of Toyama-ken, Mr. TASSO TAKUYA, governor of Iwate-ken and other Japanese guests attending Local Cooperation Sub-forum of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) on the afternoon of April 25th. Mr. Song Jingwu, vice president of CPAFFC, Mme. Zhu Dan and Mr. Cheng Haibo, deputy director generals of Department of Japanese Affairs, attended the meeting. President Li Xiaolin thanked Japanese guests for paying special visit to China this time to attend the BRF and spoke highly of contributions Japanese local governments including Toyama-ken and Iwate-ken had made for a long time to deepen the exchanges and cooperation in various fields of the two countries, improve the bilateral relations. She said, with the joint efforts by the governments and various circles in two countries, the current bilateral relations have returned to normal track showing positive signs. This year is an important year for the two countries and the bilateral ties. The leaders of the two countries determined this year as China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year. Both sides have agreed to arrange for the exchange and visits of 30,000 young people in the next five years. China will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Japan’s new imperial era to begin on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes emperor, will be called Reiwa. G20 Summit will be held in Japan in June. He sincerely expected that the local governments and other circles of the two countries could take the important opportunities of the Belt and Road Initiative and improving the Sino-Japanese relations to deepen the cooperation between the two countries and the third market, commonly protect the multilateralism and free trade, promote people-to-people connectivity, consolidate the basis of friendship and make important contributions to keeping stability and prosperity in the region and even the world. Governors ISHII TAKAKAZU and TASSO TAKUYA thanked CPAFFC for inviting them to attend BRF. They felt the extensive influence and great achievements of the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative in the world through attending BRF this time. The cooperation of the local governments is an important component for the bilateral ties. BRF this time specially set up the local cooperation sub-forum, which fully showed the attention paid by China to strengthening the local cooperation with the countries in the world. There is still a huge space and great potential for the local governments of the two countries to develop cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. They would like to take attending BRF as an opportunity to further keep close exchanges and cooperation with Chinese relevant regions and make more contributions to improving the Sino-Japanese relations. Governor ISHII TAKAKAZU delivered a speech for Japanese sides on this local government sub-forum and made an introduction about the results Toyama-ken had achieved during developing the exchanges and cooperation with China. At last, he expressed active prospect of the cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Photographed by Wang Lin

Mme. Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met in Beijing with Mr. YOKOI YUTAKA, ambassador of Embassy of Japan in China on April 22. Mr. Song Jingwu, vice president of CPAFFC, attended the meeting. President Li Xiaolin said, under the common efforts of the governments and various circles of the two countries, China-Japan relations had returned to normal track and showed positive signs. As a window for China to develop nongovernmental exchanges with Japan, CPAFFC had held a series of activities, including the Third China-Japan Governors Forum, the Reception for the 40th Anniversary of China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship since 2018, which pushed for the exchanges and cooperation of the two countries in various circles and helped to improve the bilateral relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed many times, friendship between the peoples holds the key to sound state-to-state relations, and heart-to-heart communication contributes to deeper friendship. Last October, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited China. During the visit, the leaders of the two countries determined this year as China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year. Both sides have agreed to arrange for the exchange and visits of 30,000 young people in the next five years. Some time ago, MFA (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China) and CPAFFC successfully held the opening ceremony of China-Japan Youth Exchange Promoting Year in Beijing. CPAFFC would like to work with the relevant departments of the two countries to continue nurturing China-Japan friendship among future generations through face-to-face and heart-to-heart exchanges of the youth between China and Japan, so as to realize the people-to-people ties and enable the friendship to pass on from generation to generation. Ambassador YOKOI YUTAKA said, at present, the Sino-Japanese relations have been obviously improved. It is inspiring that both sides have actively developed the exchanges of the two countries in the fields of local governments, culture and people-to-people. Japan’s new imperial era to begin on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes emperor, will be called Reiwa. China will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China. Therefore, this year is a very important year for the two countries and the bilateral ties. The Sino-Japanese relations confronted with important opportunities to be further improved. The Japanese Embassy in China would give CPAFFC and other relevant institutions of the two countries a lot of support in developing the exchanges and cooperation in various fields, including youth exchanges, consolidating the basis of friendship, deepening pragmatic cooperation and pushing for new progress in bilateral relations. President Li Xiaolin also made an introduction about the second Belt and Road Forum for International and Cooperation (BRF) to be held from April 25 to 27 in China.

On April 18, President Li Xiaolin met with Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Keshavarz Zadeh. President Li Xiaolin thanked Iranian Embassy for its active participation in Naurus Festival celebration hosted by the CPAFFC on March 22. She briefed on the people-to-people friendly exchanges conducted by the CPAFFC in recent years, delightedly recalled her visit to Iran in the year of 2010, when she initiated the First Annual Conference of Friendship Associations between China and Iran. She said that with the joint efforts of friendship associations and embassies of our two countries, the annual conference has grown into the institutional platform for people’s friendly exchanges between China and Iran throughout almost ten years’ development. Ambassador Keshavarz Zadeh thanked Madam Li for her time, and highly appraised CPAFFC for its contribution to people’s connectivity between China and international community. He said that Iranian government has been making a positive response to the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, by promoting cooperation with China. He expressed that Iranian embassy will constantly strengthen contact with the CPAFFC, deepen mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese and Iranian people. Vice President Lin Yi and Deputy Director General Li Hai of Department of Asian and African Affairs attended the meeting. Photographed by Zhang Rong

On March 29, President Li Xiaolin attended and made a keynote speech on the 2019 ASEAN-China Governors/Mayors’ Dialogue co-hosted by the CPAFFC and the People’s Government of Hainan Province in Boao, Hainan. Mr. Mao Chaofeng, Executive Vice Governor of Hainan province and Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR government delivered keynote speeches respectively. Around 20 Governors or Mayors from Hainan, Guangzhou,Wuhan of China and Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand as well as Serbia, Sri Lanka participated in the dialogue and discussed on the topic of “ASEAN-China Connectivity and Hainan Free Trade Port”. Li Xiaolin gave positive comments on the Dialogue for promoting the sub-national exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN in the past 5 years. She said that the provinces and cities from both sides should actively join the synchronizations of the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies in respective countries, safeguard the free trade and multilateralism, promote the people-to-people inter-connectivity, thus to build a common community with shared future between China and ASEAN local governments. Mao Chaofeng said that Hainan and ASEAN are close in geological distance and the two peoples enjoyed amicable feelings. The two sides should enhance the inter-connectivity and deepen the pragmatic cooperation which will be conducive to the building of Hainan Free Trade Zone as well as the exploration of the Hainan Free Trade Port with Chinese Characteristics. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said that ASEAN is the second trading partner of Hong Kong and HK conducts various exchanges and cooperation in economic and trade and people-to-people field with ASEAN. Hong Kong would continuously take its advantage and play positive role in the advancement of China-ASEAN relations. The Chinese delegates said that the Dialogue offered an important platform for their opening-up and exchanges with ASEAN and would deepen the inter-connectivity with local governments in ASEAN member states to promote the building of China-ASEAN Community of Shared Future. The foreign delegates all said that China is a sincere friend and reliable partner for ASEAN countries and would take the good opportunity of the synchronization of the Belt and Road Initiative and development strategies in respective countries to deepen the inter-connectivity and exchanges in each field. Delegates from all parties signed and issued the Joint Initiative of 2019 ASEAN-China Governors/Mayors’ Dialogue after the discussion. Photographed by Liu Lu

Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mme. Baktygulova, New Kyrgyzstan Ambassador to China on March, 26. President Li congratulated Ambassador Baktygulova on taking up her new post and made an introduction on the work CPAFFC had done for Kyrgyz Republic and Central Asia in recent years. President Li said, CPAFFC and CCAFA (China-Central Asia Friendship Association) would like to work with Kyrgyzstan Embassy in China to make unremitting efforts on strengthening the exchanges in the fields of nongovernmental economy, humanity and culture between China and Kyrgyz Republic, and the cooperation of the local governments of the two countries. Ambassador Baktygulova thanked President Li for taking time to meet her and spoke highly of the active contributions CPAFFC had made to enhance people’s friendship. Ambassador Baktygulova expressed that Kyrgyzstan side had been supporting the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and would like to actively take part in the relevant events on the Initiative so as to achieve common development. Kyrgyzstan Embassy in China would keep close contact with CPAFFC to further deepen mutual understanding and friendly feelings of the two peoples. Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mme. Hu Chunmei, Associated Counsel of Department of European and Asian Affairs of CPAFFC, attended the meeting. Photographed by Wen Guangmei

Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mr. Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of BMW Group, and his delegation on March, 25. Both sides exchanged views on Sino-European relations and the exchanges of the humanity and culture of the two countries. Mr. Harald Krüger expressed thanks for developing cooperation with CPAFFC in recent years and introduced the development plans for BMW Group. Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Shenxin, Director General of Department of European and Asian Affairs of CPAFFC, Mr. Lv Hongwei, Deputy Director General of Department of European and Asian Affairs of CPAFFC and Mr. Jochen Goller, President and CEO in greater China region for BMW Group, attended the meeting.

On March 21st, President Li Xiaolin met with Robert G. Goldstein, President and COO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation(LVS) and his delegation. President Li said that CPAFFC has been committed to promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and the U.S. in various fields, hoping to work together with LVS to promote biliteral relations. President Goldstein said that LVS has witnessed China’s reform and opening up and firmly believes in Chinese market. LVS stands ready to work with CPAFFC to contribute to U.S.-China friendly relations. Executive Vice President of U.S. Chamber of Commerce Myron Brilliant said that there are more opportunities than problems between our two countries. We will certainly come up with a solution to current trade frictions and bring the bilateral relationship back on track. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce would like to work with CPAFFC to advance the sound and steady development of U.S.-China relations. Photographed by Wang Yang

At the invitation of World Leadership Alliance and Liga da Multissecular Amizade Portugal-China, Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), led a delegation to visit Spain and Portugal from March 7 to 13, 2019. During in Spain, President Li Xiaolin met respectively with Mrs. María Agüero, Secretary General of World Leadership Alliance, Mr. Juan Lladó, President of Spain-China Council Foundation, Mrs. Ana Sálomon, Director General for Asia and the Pacific, Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European union and Cooperation, Mr. Manuel Valencia, Vice President of Técnicas Reunidas International, ex Ambassador of Spain to China. Mr. Lv Fan, Chinese Ambassador to Spain, accompanied part of the meetings. Mrs. María Agüero, Secretary General of World Leadership Alliance said, “2018 Imperial Springs International Forum” was held successfully last December. Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with foreign guests who attended the forum. This forum played an active role in promoting the friendly exchange between China and other countries, which achieved remarkable results. President Li Xiaolin said, CPAFFC had been attaching great importance to the cooperation with World Leadership Alliance. We are very happy to see more and more personages from all walks of life including former politicians, well-known experts and scholars, leaders from business circles give advice on the development of China and international hot issues. Mr. Juan Lladó, President of Spain-China Council Foundation, spoke highly of the contributions CPAFFC had made for a long time to the development of the China-Spain Forum. President Li Xiaolin expressed, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Spain successfully at the end of November last year, which made great achievements and opened a new chapter in the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain. CPAFFC would continue promoting the exchanges and cooperation with Spain in various fields and would actively help to organize the Ninth Session of the China-Spain Forum in China this year. During in Portugal, President Li Xiaolin met respectively with Mr. Eurico Dias, Secretary of State for Internationalisation Affairs of Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Mendes, Vice Secretary General of Portuguese Socialist Party，Mr. José Luis Pinto Ramalho, President of Liga da Multissecular Amizade Portugal-China. Mr. Cai Run, Chinese Ambassador to Portugal accompanied part of meetings. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Portugal, and the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland. Both sides spoke highly of the development of Sino-Portuguese relations and had an in-depth discussion on topics including how to further strengthen the exchanges and cooperation in the fields of humanity and culture as well as local governments of the two countries, and commonly promote people-to-people connectivity under the framework of the Belt and Road. They also exchanged views on cooperation plans of both sides in the future.