On Nov. 6th, President Li Xiaolin met with the U.S. delegation of the National Conference for State Legislatures (NCSL) headed by Deb Peters, President of NCSL and Majority leader assistant of South Dakota senate, as well as legislators from the states of Idaho, Minnesota, Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin. President Li welcomed NCSL delegation to visit China. She said that the 19th CPC National Congress had just concluded successfully. The Congress reviewed the extraordinary achievements China had made in all fields both domestically and internationally during the past five years. The Congress also outlined a new development blueprint in which included huge potential for China-U.S. cooperation. She hoped that with better understanding of China, legislators could seize new opportunities to make positive contributions to both countries in legislation and in other areas related to people’s benefits. President Peters expressed that she was optimistic about China’s development. She spoke highly of the role that CPAFFC had played in sub-national exchanges and cooperation between the U.S. and China. Delegation members treasured the 20 years’ friendship and collaboration between NCSL and CPAFFC. They were all willing to work jointly with CPAFFC for more cooperation in sub-national level between the two countries and would make their own efforts to push forward the bilateral relations.

President Li Xiaolin met with Asa Hutchinson, Governor of Arkansas, on November 2. President Li extended her welcome to Governor Hutchinson, who was on his third visit to China since taking office. She said, the 19th CPC National Conference had just come to a successful conclusion. The conference reviewed the achievements China has made in the past five years and outlined the blueprint for the next five years and beyond. China’s development will bring benefits to people from around the world, including people from the U.S. She hoped to work with Governor Hutchinson, along with other American friends, to promote the healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations in a new era. Governor Hutchinson said he was optimistic toward U.S.-China relations. He said, with the promotion of the Presidents of both countries, U.S.-China relationship had maintained sound development. Since he started his tenure, five Chinese companies have invested in Arkansas, with the expectation of two more Chinese investment. He expressed his desire for further cooperation with China, promoting the development of U.S.-China relations at sub-national level.

At the invitation of State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF), President Li Xiaolin visited the United States from October 26 to 28. During her stay, President Li attended the Technology Summit held by SLLF, and met with William Baribault, President of Richard Nixon Foundation and Nina Hachigian, Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles. At the opening session of the Technology Summit, President Li made an introduction on the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. She pointed out that China’s development goals for the new era set by the Congress will provide broad space for China-US subnational cooperation. She hoped that Chinese and US subnational legislatures would seize this opportunity to deepen cooperation and bring benefits to the people of our two countries. Around 100 participants, including 33 legislative leaders from 24 states and representatives from academia and business sector in the area of science and technology attended the Summit.   During her meeting with William Baribault, president of Richard Nixon Foundation, President Li remarked that President Nixon’s visit to China laid a solid foundation for the normalization of China-US relationship. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the publication of the Shanghai Communique. Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) plans to host a commemorative event in Beijing and wishes to invite representatives from Richard Nixon Foundation and the family members of President Nixon to attend. Baribault expressed that President Nixon started the US-China friendly cooperation with great political courage and wisdom. The Foundation will live up to his expectation on the US-China relationship and work together with the CPAFFC to continuously push forward the bilateral relations. President Li and Nina Hachigian, deputy mayor of Los Angeles and former US ambassador to ASEAN, discussed on the exchange and cooperation in areas such as sister city, environmental protection and youth during their meeting. Hachigian said, she only took office as the Deputy Mayor for a few weeks, yet she has long been committed to the research on US-China relations. She believed that there is huge potential for the cooperation between Los Angeles and China.

On October 16th, President Li Xiaolin met with H.E. Mr. Mamadou Ndiaye, the new ambassador of Senegal to China. Madame Li congratulated Ambassador Ndiaye on taking his new post and recalled with pleasure her visit to Senegal in 2012. While briefing Mr. Ndiaye on exchanges between CPAFFC and Senegal in recent years, President Li emphasized that Senegal is an important partner for China in Africa, and CPAFFC is ready to cooperate with friendship organizations of Senegal and the embassy in China in a bid to promote the pragmatic cooperation of local governments and people-to-people connectivity between the Chinese and the Senegalese. Ambassador Ndiaye spoke highly of the important role played by CPAFFC in promoting friendly relations between Senegal and China, and expressed his willingness to promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields such as culture and local governments. Mr. Ndiaye thanked President Li for meeting with him out of her busy schedule before attending the 19th CPC National Congress and wished the Congress a great success. Mme. Lin Yi, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Sun Xueqing, Director General of Department of Asian and African Affairs of CPAFFC and Mr. Amadou Ndiaye, First Counselor of the Senegal embassy in China attended the meeting.  

President Li Xiaolin met with Mr. Adnan Kassar, Honorable President of General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture for Arab countries and President of Fransabank Group in Beijing on September 11th. Vice President Lin Yi were present at the meeting. President Li welcomed the Kassar brothers and their delegation to the CPAFFC and praised them for their outstanding contributions for promoting people-to-people friendly exchanges between China and Arab Countries including Lebanon. She expressed our willingness to actively cooperate with the Kassar Family and Fransabank in carrying out cultural and economic exchanges to further consolidate people-to-people friendly cooperation between China and Arab countries including Lebanon. Adnan thanked President Li for meeting with him out of her busy schedule and briefed on his visit to China. He said, the Kassar Family highly appreciate and firmly support "the Belt and Road" initiative and will continue to strengthen their cooperation with China in all fields, and promote the China-Lebanon relations as well as China-Arab relations to a higher level.

On September 1st, President Li Xiaolin Vice President Xie Yuan met with the delegation of Cambodia Hefei Friendship Association (CHFA) led by President Ouk Socheth. President Li recalled her fruitful visit to Cambodia this May. She expressed appreciation to President Ouk’s for his thoughtful arrangements and warm hospitality given to the delegation. She hoped that the two sides will strengthen their ties and continue to promote pragmatic cooperation in fields of trade and youth, etc. She invited Ouk to organize Cambodian regional and local officials to attend China International Friendship Cities Conference held in Wuhan the next year. President Ouk extended appreciation to President Li for her time among the heavy schedule and her support to their cooperation with CIFCA. He hoped to continue to cooperate with CIFCA so as to promote friendship and local government exchanges between China and Cambodia in the future. He said he would also actively arrange high-level officials from Cambodian government to attend China International Friendship Cities Conference the next year.

Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met with Mr. HATOYAMA YUKIO, Former Prime Minister of Japan in Tokyo on August 23rd, 2017. President Li Xiaolin introduced Chinese relics exhibition of “The Only Chinese Character and The Only Beauty----Chinese Characters: A Legacy and Marvel Perfected” to Mr. HATOYAMA YUKIO, and thanked him for concerning and supporting the exhibition. President Li said, Chinese character is the common basis for the two countries’ culture. This exhibition of Chinese character is to continue promoting the mutual understanding and friendly exchanges of the two countries by the way of Chinese character. China and Japan are close neighbors. Consolidating the friendly feelings of the two peoples through this kind of culture activity not only meets with the common interests of the two peoples, but also is beneficial to the regions for peace and stability. Mr. HATOYAMA YUKIO appreciated CPAFFC and President Li Xiaolin for making contributions to keeping world peace, development and prosperity. He said, the concept of the Belt and Road Initiatives is of great importance, especially is an important opportunity for neighbors. He hoped that Japan could also play an active role in it.

Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mr. Korn Dabbaransi, President of Thailand-China Friendship Association (TCFA) on August 17th. President Li thanked President Korn Dabbaransi for having promoted China-Thailand friendship and having taken an active part in and supported China-ASEAN (10+1) activity for a long time. She said that our duties are to keep the friendship of the two countries from generation to generation, to make the “Belt and Road” Initiative benefited the two countries, the region and the people in the world, to share the concept of peaceful development, mutual benefit and win-win all over the world. She also hoped that the two associations could hold more influential activities so as to promote the pragmatic cooperation of local governments of the two countries and to play an important role in promoting official diplomacy by non-official diplomacy, improving political relations through economic cooperation and enhancing diplomatic relations with other countries through local governments' contacts.   President Korn Dabbaransi spoke highly of the active role CPAFFC had played in promoting the friendly relations among Thailand and China, ASEAN and China, and the exchanges of local governments. He said that “Thailand and China are one family” which is a kind of special deep friendship. TCFA is willing to consolidate and develop the friendship of the two countries as before. President Korn Dabbaransi expressed, China is the leader to development in Asia. The proposal and implement of the “Belt and Road” Initiative would benefit the countries and peoples in the region. He himself actively supports the great initiative. Mme. Lin Yi, Vice President of CPAFFC, attended the meeting.

On August 9, President Li Xiaolin and Consul General Zhang Qiyue from Chinese Consulate General in New York visited 93 year-old U.S. President 41 George H. W. Bush in Kennebunkport, Maine.  President Li and Consul General Zhang highly commended the significant contributions made by President Bush to the China-U.S. relations and wished him enjoying wonderful health and long life. President Bush told them that he still pays close attention to the bilateral relations and if he could make an international travel, China would be the only country that he wanted to go.

  President Li Xiaolin met with Terry Branstad, U.S. Ambassador to China, on July 31. President Li thanked Ambassador Brandstad for his support to CPAFFC, especially to the China-U.S. Governors Forum during his term as Governor of Iowa, and hoped he would extend continuous support in his new capacity to the work of CPAFFC and help promote China-U.S. subnational exchange and cooperation including the China-U.S. Governors Forum. Ambassador Brandstad spoke highly of the positive role played by CPAFFC in promoting U.S.-China subnational cooperation and sister cities relationship, and would like to push forward the rapid growth of subnational exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.