On April, 24th, 2013, Xie Yuan, the vice president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) held a banquet for H.E. Mr. Alfio  Piva Mesén, the vice president of Costa Rica and his group to welcome their visit to China. H.E. Mr. Marco Vinicio Ruiz, the Ambassador of Costa Rica to China, the diplomats from the Embassy of Republic of Costa Rica in China, and representatives of the Chinese entrepreneurs were present at the banquet. Vice President Xie Yuan said in his address, although it was not a long time since the diplomatic relations between China and Costa Rica had been established, the bilateral relations between the two countries developed fast, and the high-level exchange of visits was frequent. China had become the second largest trading partner of Costa Rica at present. At the same time as the official relation was developing rapidly, the people-to-people contact was also increasing day by day. In this September, the CPAFFC, China-Latin America and Caribbean Friendship Association, and Costa Rica-China Friendship Association was going to hold 4th China-Latin American People-to-People Friendship Forum in San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. The people’s friendship and the common aim of development linked the two countries closely. The CPAFFC would make its further effort to promote the closer contact between the people of the two countries. In his speech, Vice President Alfio Piva first expressed his deep sympathy to the earthquake that took place in Ya’an, Sichuan. He said, after the establishment of the diplomatic relations, China and Costa Rica achieved great success in exchange and cooperation in various circles, including the continuous high-level exchange of visits. Costa Rica believed that the friendly relation between China and Costa Rica and the friendship between the two peoples would bear fruitful results with the joint efforts of the both sides. President Piva also highly praised the CPAFFC for its contribution to promote China-Costa Rica friendship. H.E. Mr. Alfio Piva and his group visited Beijing from April 23 to 26 at the invitation of the CPAFFC.

On April 24th, Vice President Feng Zuoku of the CPAFFC met Shin Bong-kil, Secretary-General of Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), based in Seoul. Mr. Feng briefed Secretary-General Shin on the CPAFFC’s work with ROK and Japan as well as the Conference of China-Japan-Korea Friendship Cities and the China-Japan-Korea Culture Forum which were the trilateral cooperation mechanisms initiated by the CPAFFC. Vice President Feng said that China, Japan and ROK played a very important role in East Asia, the trilateral cooperation of the three countries contribute to the peace, stability in East Asia and the world. The CPAFFC is willing to strengthen the cooperation with TCS in the coming future and actively participate in TCS activities. Mr. Shin expressed condolences to the victims in the Sichuan Lushan earthquake and made introduction on the structure, functions and activities of TCS. Upon the agreement of the establishment of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat reached at the 2nd Trilateral Summit in 2009, the TCS was officially inaugurated in Seoul, September 2011.

The Second Chinese-Hungarian Friendship City Conference,  jointly sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Hungary Ministry of Administration and Justice, was held in Girdler, Hungary on April 24, 2013. This conference, which was attached great importance by the leaders of both China and Hungary, was the important achievement of Vice Premier Li Keqiang’s  visit to Hungary in April, 2012. The theme of this conference was "Mutual Benefit and Cooperation, Common Development". Uyunqimg, president of the China-EU Association, sent her greeting speech to the conference. More than 130 Chinese representatives attended the meeting, including Xu Jingye, president of Chongqing Committee of the Chinese people’s political consultative conference, Cheng Hong, deputy mayor of Beijing, Sun Dongsheng, vice-governor of Heilongjiang province and other 7 city  leaders. Tibor Navracsics, the Hungarian deputy prime minister, 10 minister-level leaders and more than 200 representatives from over 90 states and cities were present at the conference. Vice president Li Jianping of CPAFFC announced the speech of President Uyunqimg. Xiao Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Hungary delivered a speech on the opening ceremony. Besides the general meeting, 6 sub-forums, including public administration and honest and clean government, water resources and environmental protection, natural resources and agriculture, economy and trade investment, digital cities, education and research were held. The conference set up a platform of mutual understanding and studying for both China and Hungary. The relationship between China and Hungary is at the best time in the history. The Chinese government is strengthening the cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries, the collaborations of the local governments between the two countries are acquiring new opportunities of cooperation. Up to now, the two countries have established 23 pairs of friendship provinces, states and cities. This timely conference forcefully furthered the development of local governments’ cooperation and promoted the collaborations in the fields of economy, trade and humanity between the two countries. The conference got  extensive attention by all social circles in Hungary and produced profound influences to the development of cooperation of local governments and people-to-people friendship between the two countries.

In the afternoon of April 23th, the launching ceremony of 2013 Training Programme for Leaders of Local Friendship Associations was held in the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). Li Xiaolin, the president of the CPAFFC, Jing Dunquan, Feng Zuoku, the vice presidents of the CPAFFC were present; Han Guangming, the deputy secretary-general hosted the launching ceremony.   Before the launching ceremony, all attendants stood in silent to pay tribute to mourning the victims in the earthquake which took place in Ya’an, Sichuan Province. In the launching ceremony, President Li Xiaolin made the report titled “Remember the Duty, Carry Out  People-to-People Diplomatic Works in New Situation with Spirit of Innovation”. After the launching ceremony, Dr. Qiu Yuanping, the minister of Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council made a report on international situation for the trainees. 77 leaders from the CPAFFC and 50 provincial or municipal friendship associations attended the training programme. The training programme will last for 4 days.

Regional Forum Poland-China was held from Apr. 21st to 22nd in Gdańsk, Poland. The forum was co-hosted by The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Pomerania, West Pomerania and Warmian-Masurian Provinces of Poland with the theme of "Poland-China Regional Cooperation: Together for the harmonious development in the 21st century". Four workshops has been held during the forum: economy & energy, environment protection & culture, education and tourism. A series of supporting activities including Poland-China "Best Local Cooperation" Awarding Ceremony, "Oriental Charm" Concert, calligraphies and paintings exhibition, books presenting ceremony at "Shanghai Eye" community library, picture album presenting to the under-constructing Poland WWII Museum which is under construction, oil painting presenting to Bishop of Gdańsk Christian Church etc.. Both Chinese and Polish social circles have shown great concern about the forum and participated in it actively. The forum has attracted over 600 attendants with 130 from 22 provinces and cities of China, including about 100 government officials  from Beijing, Shanghai, Yunnan, Guangdong, Liaoning, Sichuan, Jinan, Changsha, Shijiazhuang, Shangqiu etc., 29 business representatives, 7 artists (consisted of calligrapher, painter, singer, Erhu player); and 470 attendants from all 16 provinces and capital cities of each province of Poland. On the opening ceremony, Mr. Li Jianping, Vice President of CPAFFC read the congratulatory letter on behalf of Madam WuYunQiMuGe, President of China-EU Association. Mr. Olgierd Dziekoński, representative of Polish President delivered a welcome speech on behalf of Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski. The welcome speech of President Komorowski was presented by vedio. The Chinese and Polish VIPs presented at the forum also included: Vice mayor of Beijing Madam Cheng Hong, Vice Governor of Yunnan Madam Li Jiang, Representative of Shanghai Mayor Mr. Ding Xuexiang, H.E. Ambassador of China to Poland Mr. Xu Jian, Marshal of the Pomorskie Province Mr. Mieczyslaw Struk, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland Mr. Jerzy Pomianowski, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Regional Development of Poland Mr. Marcin Kubiak, H.E. Ambassador of Poland to China Mr. Tadeusz Chomicki etc.. The arrangement of setting up four workshops fully introduced the practical and broad cooperation fields between China and Poland. Among the four, economy & energy and environment protection & culture workshops have attracted most interests and provided practical information for developing economic and trade cooperation between our two countries. Besides, the supporting activities have all been very successful and have brought great credit to the forum. The forum has gained great reputation from both attendants and media. Ambassadors Mr. Xu Jian and Mr. Tadeusz Chomicki both confirmed the success and practical significance of the forum, and expressed their wish to make this forum regularly held in turn by China and Poland, which has to be decided by relative organizations and ministries of the two countries.  

Vice President Feng Zuoku met H.E.Abdoulaye Fall, the new Senegalese Ambassador in China on Apr.18, 2013.  Mr. Feng briefed Ambassador Fall of the Chinese local government delegation’s visit to Senegal last December led by President Li Xiaolin. He appreciated that President Sall of Senegal met the delegation twice and awarded Mme. Li Xiaolin a medal. He sincerely hoped to further develope the bilateral relations with the Ambassador’s support. And he briefed Ambassador Sall of the 2nd Dialogue for Governors and Mayors of China and Africa to be held in June and sent an invitation to the ambassador. Ambassador Fall thanked Feng for his time and said the Senegalese government attached great importance of the CPAFFC’s role in promoting the bilateral relations. He appreciated the invitation to Senegalese delegation for attending the dialogue, and affirmed to try the best to support the CPAFFC, to further enhancing the mutual understanding and promoting the friendship of the two peoples.

Vice President Feng Zuoku met Mr. Charles Li ,former President of Chinese Business Chamber(abbr. CBC) in Mauritius on Apr. 18, 2013. Feng said, CBC was our concrete partner in Mauritius with a cordial and friendly relationship. The CPAFFC was determined to strengthen the exchange and cooperation to promote the China-Mauritius cooperation in the areas of culture, economic and trade, ect. Li thanked Feng for his time and briefed him of the political stability, preferential investment policies and exceptional geographic advantages of Mauritius. He also sent an invitation to Feng, leading a business delegation, for paying a visit to Mauritius.

Vice President Feng Zuoku met and dined Mrs. Helen Kofi, Ambassador of Ghana in China on April 17, 2013 in the CPAFFC.   Mr. Feng briefed the ambassador a recent visit by the Forum on China-Africa Local Government Cooperation at the beginning of April. He appreciated that H. E. John Mahama, President of Ghana and several ministers met the delegation respectively. He hopes the ambassador and the embassy continue their support to local exchange and economic, trade and investment cooperation between China and Ghana. Ambassador Kofi affirmed the high attention of Ghanaian state leaders to the bilateral relations, and welcomes more Chinese investors to Ghana. She and the embassy will support and assist them.

At the invitation of CPAFFC, the director of Space Camp Turkey(SCT), Mr. Scott Alison Woodham, led a 3-person delegation visiting China from April 1 to 7. Besides Beijng, they also visited Xi’an, Yangzhou and Shanghai. The delegation met with Vice President Feng Zuoku, and attended the workshop with teachers and students from Beijing New Oriental School (Yangzhou Branch) who have been to Space Camp Turkey in the year of 2013. During the meeting, vice president Feng Zuoku expressed gratitude to SCT for giving free offer to Chinese adolescents aged 12-15 in the recent five consecutive five years. He said that SCT builds a good platform of communication for adolescents all over the world, and provides a precious opportunity for Chinese students to know about the world. He hopes the two sides could work more closely together to enhance the adolescents’ friendship between China and Turkey in the future. Mr. Woodham hopes to see more and more Chinese students in SCT, where they can show the Chinese traditional culture to the students all over the world. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the future cooperation on the students’ exchange programs. Mrs. Bengu Yigitguden, the first Counselor of Turkish Embassy to China, expressed her delight about the vigorous students’ exchange activities between two countries. She pointed out that long-term relationship between China and Turkey can’t sustain without the mutual understandings and communications between the youngsters from both sides. She hopes that CPAFFC and SCT could have deeper cooperation to promote the adolescents’ exchanging. The delegation met with Mr. Wang Xiuwen, the principle of Beijing New Oriental School (Yangzhou Branch) in Yangzhou city, and attended the workshop with teachers and students. 

At the invitation of Ms. IRENE NATIVIDAD, the president of Global Summit of Women, the CPAFFC as the 2013 Summit’s International Partner Organization, will organize a delegation to attend the 23rd Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from June 6 to 8. The theme of the 2013 Summit is  “Women: Creating NEW Economies”, during that time, delegates from all over the world will have discussions on how women play greater constructive role in today’s world. Website link of Global Summit of Women: http://www.globewomen.org/summit/summit.htm