On the morining of March 31st, President Li Xiaolin met with and held a baquet for H.H. Prince Saud bin Thenayan Al-Saud, Chairman of Board of Saudi Basic Industry Corporation (SABIC). President Li XIaolin extended her welcome to Prince Saud for his first visit to the CPAFFC, and congratulated him on his speech delivered lately at Boao Forum. She briefed the status and recent important events of the CPAFFC, as well as the people-to-people contact developed by the CPAFFC with the Arabic Countries. She hoped that CPAFFC could strengthen the cooperation with Sabic and deepen the friendly exchanges in the various fields between China and Saudi Arabia and provide the needed assistance for its development in China. Prince Saud highly praised that the CPAFFC has made great contribution to enhancing the understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people of the world, and safeguarding the world peace with the leadership of President Li Xiaolin. He said, SABIC attaches great importance to the Chinese market and has been doing business in China for over 30 years. It has set up factories in China cooperating with SINOPEC and founded special researching center in Shanghai.  SABIC would like to participate in and support the CPAFFC’s public welfare projects and people-to-people exchanges between the Chinese and Arabic people in various fields including youth, culture and education. He also invited President Li Xiaolin to visit Saudi Arabia at her convenient time. CPAFFC Vice President Lin Yin attended the meeting. SABIC ranked 205th in world’s top 500 published by Fortune. In world’s petrochemical business, SABIC ranks 1st in total assets and annul output. It now has 19 offices, 4 factories, 1 technical research center and over 2000 employees in Greater China. 

At the invitation of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Prime Minister Wim Kok, founding President of World Leadership Alliance (WLA) and Former Prime Minister of Netherlands led a delegation of 9 visited China from 21st to 25th , March, 2015. Madam Li Xiaolin met with and hosted a luncheon for the delegation. Madam Li extended gracious welcome to the delegation and recalled her previous contacts with members from WLA with great delight. Madam Li pointed out that CPAFFC would like to further its relations with WLA and enhance people’s friendship as well as safeguard world peace in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit. Madam Li Xiaolin Meets with World Leadership Alliance Prime Minister Wim Kok thanked Madam Li for her time and the luncheon for the delegation. He spoke highly of the important role that CPAFFC played in promoting international cooperation and local governmental exchanges. President Jorge Quiroga invited Madam Li to attend the 2015 Annual Conference of WLA, which will be held in the United States to deepen mutual understanding and win-win cooperation. Group Photo in front of the Peace Palace After the meeting, with the witness from Prime Minister Wim Kok, founding President of WLA and former PM of Netherlands and President Danilo Turk, member of WLA and former President of Slovenia, Madam Li and President Quiroga, Vice President of WLA and Former President of Bolivia signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation between CPAFFC and WLA. Signing Ceremony of MOU between CPAFFC and WLA Group Photo after the Signing Ceremony H.E. Ms. Marija Adanja, Slovenian Ambassador to China and Mr. Hao Zhongwei, Deputy Director General of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs, CPAFFC also attended the above-mentioned activities.

On March 25th, President Li Xiaolin met with former US Defense Secretary William Cohen and his delegation. President Li welcomed Secretary Cohen to visit China. She said that with coexistence of challenges and opportunities in its economic development, China is ready to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the rest of the world. She also mentioned that this year marks the 70th anniversary of Victory of the World’s Anti-Fascist War and Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.The history of China-US fighting side by side should be cherished and remembered. The CPAFFC will hold photo exhibitions, seminars and other events to commemorate the anniversary. Cohen spoke highly of the recently-concluded China Development Forum which he attended. He understood the “New Normal”and believed that China’s economic slowdown is rational in accordance with the rule of development. He stressed the significance of people-to-people contact to the relationship between nations and commended the important role that the CPAFFC has played in this regard.

President Li Xiaolin met with Elías Castillo, President of Latin-American Parliament and his delegation on 24th, March, 2015. President Li Xiaolin expressed her warm welcome to President Castillo and briefed the function and work of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC). She thanked President Castillo and Latin-American Parliament for supporting and attending the seminar on 100th  Anniversary of the Panama Canal - Bridge of  Economic and Trading Relation of China and Latin-America held by CPAFFC in the Latin-American Parliament Building in 2014. Zhao Shaohua, the vice-chairperson of Foreign Affairs Committee of National People’s Congress, Ji Yongjun, the deputy director-general of Department of American and Oceanian Affairs of CPAFFC, Xiong Wei, the deputy director-general of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of General Office of National People’s Congress were present at the meeting.

On Mar. 24th , CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin held a meeting in Beijing, with Dr. Lin Jianhai, Secretary-General of International Monetary Fund (IMF).  Dr. Lin said, the non-governmental diplomacy is getting more of significance with China’s development in various circles. He hoped that the CPAFFC would attend the spring and autumn session organized by IMF in this year, so as to strengthen the cooperation of the two organizations. President Li said, as an NGO in comprehensive consultative status with Economic and Social Council of UN, the CPAFFC attaches great importance to cooperation with international multilateral organizations, aiming for setting up a platform of exchange and window of exhibition to the foreign countries for the Chinese enterprises, and promoting common development. Xie Yuan, Vice President of the CPAFFC, Ji Yongjun, Deputy Director-General of Department of American and Oceania Affairs, Shi Baiyu, President of U.S. China-US Public Diplomacy Association, Pan Yixin, President of Wenzhou Public Diplomacy Association attended the meeting.

President Li Xiaolin met with Japanese well-known oil painter Hoshina Toyomi, Dean of Faculty Fine Arts from Tokyo University of the Arts on 20th March, 2015. President Li Xiaolin welcomed Hoshina Toyomi to visit the CPAFFC and expressed the appreciation for his efforts in promoting the cultural exchanges between the two peoples, especially in the field of fine arts. She hoped that more communications and exchanges among artists from both countries would be carried out and encouraged Japanese painters to visit China as to introduce more Chinese arts to Japanese people. Hoshina Toyomi thanked President Li for meeting him. Besides introducing his artistic works and his efforts in enhancing bilateral cultural exchanges, he also expressed his willingness to contribute more with support from the CPAFFC and President Li.

President Li Xiaolin met with TSUTSUMI TAKAO, the son of TSUJII TAKASHI, former president of Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association on 17th March, 2015. President Li Xiaolin welcomed TSUTSUMI TAKAO to visit the CPAFFC. She spoke highly of his father, TSUJII TAKASHI, who had been engaged in the cause of friendship between China and Japan during his lifetime, especially had made great contribution to the development of cultural exchange between the two countries. She also hoped that he would follow his father’s footstep to continually play an active role in enhancing the friendship between China and Japan. President Li Xiaolin emphasized that China and Japan are close neighbors. To realize the friendly relationship of the two countries from generation to generation is a common wish. We should fully utilize the non-governmental advantages and strength, to develop the exchanges in various fields, and increasingly enhancing the mutual understanding, and make unremitting efforts to push the relationship of the two countries back on track earlier. TSUTSUMI TAKAO thanked President Li Xiaolin for finding time for the meeting in her tight schedule. He said that his father loved China and Chinese culture very much, and actively involved in the cause of friendship between Japan and China. I was influenced deeply by my father when I was young and had strong interest to China. I would like to follow my father’s step to make efforts on enhancing the feeling of the two countries’ people and developing the relationship between Japan and China. Song Jingwu, the vice president of CPAFFC and Wang Xiuyun, the director-general of the Department of Japanese Affairs of CPAFFC attended the meeting.

On 16th March, President Li Xiaolin met with Mr Alan Kelly, the Irish Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, and the accompanying Irish Ambassador to China, Paul Kavanagh at the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). President Li expressed her warm welcome to Minister Kelly. She introduced the recent work of the CPAFFC, and its contribution to enhancing friendly exchanges and local government cooperation between China and foreign countries in the past 60 years since its founding. She suggested that the two sides should work together to promote experience sharing and people-to-people exchanges between China and Ireland. Minister Kelly introduced the Irish development in the field of environment, technology, resource utilization and local government, and expressed willingness to promote Ireland-China friendly exchanges and practical cooperation. Mr. Song Jingwu, CPAFFC Vice President and Ms. Zhang Ruoning, Deputy Director General of the Department of European and Asian Affairs were present at the meeting.

President Li Xiaolin met with Dr. Horold Hyunsuk Oh, President of World Energy Forum on 2nd March in Beijing. Dr. Oh introduced that the task of World Energy Forum is to advocate energy and technology cooperation around globe, and invited CPAFFC to cohost 2015 World Energy Forum in China. President Li noted that as a NGO in general consultative status with UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), CPAFFC attaches great importance to multilateral cooperation with international institutions in efforts to promote common development. We hoped the Forum could provide an effective international platform for enterprises and academic institutes home and abroad to exchange new ideas and deepen cooperation. Mr. Xie Yuan, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Ji Yongjun, Deputy Director General of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs of CPAFFC and Mr. Zhang Dacheng, President of HIT Group were present at the meeting.

President Li Xiaolin who was currently visiting the United States paid a visit to Mayor of Los Angeles Mr. Eric Garcetti at the LA City Hall on 13th February. President Li expressed appreciation to Mayor Garcetti for his support to develop friendly relations with China and for his visit to China soon after his assumption of the post of Los Angeles mayor. Mayor Garcetti said, he had opportunity to visit China on different occasions, and he admired the great achievement China had made since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy. Two sides held an extensive discussion on the future exchange and cooperation between sister cities of our two countries in various fields and climate change.