Vice president Xie Yuan met with Asha Varghese, president of Caterpillar Foundation on October 16, 2019. Vice president Xie congratulated President Varghese for her new position, and gave a brief introduction on the major work of CPAFFC. As Caterpillar Foundation and CPAFFC share similar goals, Xie hoped that the two organizations could further deepen cooperation so as to make joint efforts in driving forward the global sustainable development. President Varghese expressed sincere gratitude to CPAFFC for the support given to the work of Caterpillar Foundation in China. In order to better facilitate China’s poverty alleviation strategy, the Foundation plans to adjust their future work prioties, by investing more on projects such as poverty elimination through education and natural infrastructure construction, so as to build more resilient communities to help with China’s poverty alleviation goal. Photographed by Zhang Yang

On October 14, at the invitation of the Tanzanian Embassy in China, the CPAFFC Vice President Mme. Lin Yi attended the commemoration of "Nyerere Day in China" and addressed the opening ceremony. The event was hosted by the Tanzanian Embassy in China and co-organized by Center for African Studies at Peking University. Hon. Mizengo Pinda, former Prime Minister of Tanzania, H.E. Mbelwa Kairuki, the Tanzanian Ambassador to China, and H.E. Hao Ping, President of Peking University were present.  In her speech, Mme. Lin Yi pointed out that Nyerere is both a good and old friend familiar to the Chinese people. He is also the founder and pioneer of China-Tanzania relations. Based on the solid foundation of the traditional friendship, which was laid by Nyerere and the older generation of the Chinese leaders, the CPAFFC has worked actively, through mechanism like China-Africa Friendship Award, Forum on China Africa Local Governmet Cooperation and China Africa Friendship Organizations Leaders Meeting, to deepen and expand people-to-people friendship with Tanzania and Africa at large in areas of culture, youth, vocational training and charity etc,. It is hoped that the youth will actively engage in the cause of people-to-people diplomacy, so as to rejuvenate the traditional friendship between China and Tanzania, China and Africa, and also make new contributions to building an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future. photographed by Peking University

From Sep. 22 to 30, the 4th China-Germany-India Young Leaders’ Exchange Program, sponsored by Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC) and organized by Sichuan Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(SIFA), was successfully held in Chengdu. Participants of this program included 7 Chinese students from Chengdu University，7 people from Germany State Sport Association in North Rhine Westphalia and an observer delegation of 2 members from National Youth Development Agency of South Africa (NYDA).(Delegation from India was unable to join the program due to some emergencies.) In the program, young people from China, Germany and South Africa learned about China's economic and social development, experienced local customs, and shared their thoughts about values on society, family and friends. They enhanced mutual understanding and developed friendship through topic discussions, Chinese traditional culture lessons, collective investigation tasks and sports activities.  The China-Germany-India Young Leaders’ Exchange Program is co-sponsored by CPAFFC, State Sport Association in North Rhine Westphalia from Germany and Friends of China Association from India. It has been successfully held for 3 terms since 2009. Each term lasts for 3 years, within which relative exchange activities are organized once in China, Germany and India respectively. Photographed by Liu Lu

On September 27th, Vice President Hu Sishe Meets with Mr. Zhi Fai Guan, president of Norwegian Association of Overseas Cantonese who came to China for celebration activities relevant with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC.  President Hu extended welcome to Mr. Guan’s visit to CPAFFC. He appreciated the deeds made by Norwegian Association of Overseas Cantonese for friendly exchanges between China and Norway and hoped for further strengthened cooperation.  Mr. Guan thanked President Hu for his arrangement of this meeting. He applauded great changes in the past 70 years since the founding of PRC and promised more efforts in the cause of China-Norway friendship. Ms. Jia Ling, Deputy Director-General of the Cultural Exchange Department, CPAFFC was also present at the meeting.  Photographed by Sun Yajing

Mme. Lin Yi, Vice President of the CPAFFC, met with H.E. Mr. Mbelwa Kairuki, Ambassador of Tanzania to China on September 24, 2019. Mme. Lin Yi said that on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Tanzania, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, President of Tanzania-China Friendship Promotion Association and former Prime Minister of Tanzania, was awarded “Friendship Medal”, China’s highest medal of honor for foreigners. It will greatly promote and carry forward China-Tanzania traditional friendship, and also bring new vitality to it in the new era. The CPAFFC will continue to maintain close cooperation with the Embassy and jointly promote the continuous development of China-Tanzania friendly relations. Ambassador Kairuki said that Dr. Salim’s “Friendship Medal” is not only his own honor, but also the best example of Tanzania-China all-weather friendship. He would like to express gratitude to the Chinese side on behalf of the Tanzanian government. Also, he emphasized that the CPAFFC has played an important role in promoting Tanzania-China friendly relations, and the embassy will continue to support the CPAFFC’s work. The two sides also discussed on the forthcoming cooperation programs.  Photographed by Pei Xingchen

On September 10, Vice President Lin Yi met with Ms. Kenneh Jobe, Charge D'affaires a.i.of the Gambian Embassy in China. Mme. Lin Yi started by expressing her welcome to Ms. Jobe and her delegation on behalf of the CPAFFC and President Li Xiaolin. She made a detailed introduction to the functions of the CPAFFC and its work with Africa as well, in particular the  exchanges in the areas of local governments and friendship-with-China organizations. She said that since the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Gambia, bilateral relations have enjoyed all-round and fast development and also fruitful and remarkable results in cooperation. The friendship between China and Gambia has win more support among the peoples. Mme. Lin said that the CPAFFC will keep further contact with the Gambian Embassy in China, comprehensively strengthen exchanges  in the field of local governments, twinning of friendship cities, culture and youth, so as to bring more benefit to the two peoples. Ms. Jobe thanked Mme. Lin for taking time from her busy schedule for meeting her and highly praised the CPAFFC’s work in promoting people-to-people diplomacy. She said that Gambia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and its government and people are grateful to China for its valuable help in Gambia’s economic development and improvement of people's livelihood. The Gambian Embassy in China is willing to strengthen coordination with the CPAFFC, to deepen the people-to-people friendship between the two countries through local government cooperation and cultural exchanges etc,. Photographed by Pei Xingchen

The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries held the reception celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Federated States of Micronesia in Beijing on September 10, 2019. Vice Chairman Chen Xiaoguang of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Vice Minister Zheng Zeguang of Foreign Affairs, Vice President Xie Yuan of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Micronesia Ambassador Carlson Apis to China, Fiji Ambassador Manasa Tagicakibau to China, Tonga Ambassador Tau‘aika ‘Uta‘atu to China, Vanuatu Ambassador Nguk Yang Dennis Nai to China, and around 100 representatives from various walks of life from China, Micronesia and some other Pacific island countries attended the reception. Vice President Xie Yuan noted in his speech that the relations between China and Micronesia have made substantial progress over the past 30 years. The two countries have maintained frequent high-level exchanges. Mutual exchanges and cooperation have been strengthened in various fields of trade and economy, education, culture, agriculture, infrastructure and etc. People-to-people friendly contact between two countries is also growing closer. A variety of fruitful projects carried out by the sister states/cities of the two countries have invigorated the bilateral relations. It is time to take the opportunity of the 30th anniversary to enhance mutual understanding and people’s friendship, expand practical cooperation in various areas and push forward the bilateral friendly relations to a new height. Ambassador Apis spoke highly in his remarks of the achievements of Micronesia-China relations in the past 30 years and expressed appreciation to China for its important assistance to Micronesia’s economic and social development. He stated that Micronesia will firmly adhere to one-China policy, continuously deepen bilateral relations, strengthen exchanges and cooperation and make contributions to regional and world peace and prosperity. At the reception, the artists of two countries also presented wonderful performances. Photographed by Ren Xin

On Sep.5, Vice President Hu Sishe meets with Dr. Denis Alt, State Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Further Education and Culture of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany during the Third Session of Dialogue Between Chinese and German Historical Cities (Dialogue in short in the below). The two sides discussed over issues of shared concern. Dr. Hu and Dr. Denis Alt both appreciated the long-term friendship and cooperation between CPAFFC and Rheinland-Pfalz State. They spoke highly of the deep friendship and wide cooperation between them. They looked back on the past sessions of the Dialogue since 2017 and the much more enriched contents of fruitful cooperation from musical exchanges to cultural heritage protection, tourism, university exchanges, innovation & entrepreneurship, urban planning and architecture, and so on. They agreed on collaboration in more fields like vocation education, smart city development and so on.  On Sep.5, both Dr. Hu and Dr. Denis Alt will attend the opening ceremony of the Third Session of Dialogue Between Chinese and German Historical Cities.  Photographed by Sun Yajing

On Sep.5, the Third Session of Dialogue Between Chinese and German Historical Cities was held in Trier, German. The Dialogue was co-hosted by CPAFFC together with Shaanxi People’s government, Rheinland-Pfalz State Government, Ministry of Science, Further Education and Culture of Rheinland-Pfalz, German Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe Rheinland-Pfalz (GDKE), Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher China-gesellschaften (ADCG, Federation of Germany-China Friendship Association). President of CPAFFC Madam Li Xiaolin, Governor of Shaanxi Province Mr. Liu Guozhong and Governor of Rheinland-Pfalz Madam Malu Dreyer sent congratulating letters respectively to the Dialogue. Dr. Hu Sishe, Vice President of CPAFFC, Dr. Denis Alt, State Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Further Education and Culture of Rheinland-Pfalz, Mr. Ji Wenkui, Deputy Director General of Shaanxi Foreign Affairs Office,  Ms. Elvira Garbes, Vice Mayor of Trier, Mr. Qiang Xiaoan, Vice Mayor of Xi’an, Mr. Kurt Karst, President of ADCG, and Dr. Thomas Metz, Director General of GDKE and representatives from the Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt attended the opening ceremony.  Dr. Hu mentioned in his speech that we’ve held 2 successful dialogues since 2017 and the past two years witnessed higher level, more rich contents and more influence of the two Province / State. In the future, we will be more engaged in promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and Germany in the fields of protection of cultural heritage, tourism, music, innovation & entrepreneurship, and smart-city development.  Dr. Denis Alt, State Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Further Education and Culture said in his speech that the cooperation between CPAFFC and Rheinland-Pfalz began with music exchanges and was then expanded to the fields cultural heritage, tourism, economy and so on. He looked back on cooperation between CPAFFC and Villa Musika,  series exhibition of Meeting China and other cooperation in the past. He expressed confidence in future bilateral cooperation.   The Dialogue will be held between Sep.4 to 6 on the theme of innovation, heritage protection and city planning. During the dialogue, activities including China-Germany Innovation and entrepreneurship Dialogue, Sino-German Symposium on Historic and Cultural Heritage,   Symposium on Sino-German Urban Planning and Architecture. Besides these activities, the folk artists from Yulin will give performances in Trier, Mainz, and Wiesbaden. Symposium on Sino-German Urban Planning and Architecture Folk Music Performance in Electoral Palace Folk Art Performance and Paper-cutting Exhibition named Orchid Flower Photographed by Sun Yajing

Mr. Shenxi, Director General of European and Central Asian Affairs Department of CPAFFC led a delegation to the Hangzhou International Day Events which gathered more than 327 delegates from 38 countries. Mr. Shen attended the opening ceremony of Hangzhou International Sister-Cities Mayors’ Conference and the Council Meeting of UCLG-ASPAC Committee on the Belt and Road Local Cooperation (BRLC) under the framework of Hangzhou International Day Events. BRLC is a committee of UCLG ASPAC founded by CPAFFC and Hangzhou city. The committee meeting co-hosted by CPAFFC and Hangzhou City has been institutionalized.  Photographed by Zhang Weiwei