On September 5th, President Li Xiaolin had a meeting with Mayor Vincent Gray of Washington DC, U.S. President Li introduced to the guests about CPAFFC’s major projects with the U.S. in recent years, including China-U.S. Friendship Cities Conference, China-U.S. Governors Forum and China-U.S. Mayors Forum.

At the invitation of the CPAFFC, headed by Mr. Kabashima Ikuo, Chiji (governor) of Kumamoto Ken (Japanese prefecture), a delegation formed by 7 Chijis of 7 Kens in Kyushu visited China from Sept. 2nd to 4th.  On Sept. 3rd, President Li Xiaolin met with the delegation. President Li said, Kyushu is the nearest Japanese region from China. It ’s been a long time that Kyushu keeps promoting the friendly contact and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, and has made positive efforts and valuable contribution to healthy and stable development of Sino-Japan relation. President Li said, since the normalization of the diplomatic relations between China and Japan 42 years ago, with the joint efforts of the force of friendship from various circles of the two countries, Sino-Japanese relation has made considerable progress, and brought realistic benefits to two peoples. It also gave a great impetus to peace, stability and prosperity of world. At present, Sino-Japanese relation is facing the grim situation, which has negatively influenced the contact of all fields in vary degree. This is regrettable and must be turned around. President Li said, as close neighboring countries, China and Japan must and have to be friendly to each other. Today is the 69th anniversary of China’s anti-Japanese War and the world’s anti-fascism war. Past experience, if not forgotten, can serve as a guide for the future. The two countries should remember the poor history, and face the future based on correct recognition on the history. The CPAFFC, serving as the national people’s organization especially engaged in non-governmental diplomatic works, would like to work with friendly forces including the Japanese local governments, to close the hearts’ distance of the two peoples, and enhance the mutual understanding and trust, so as to contribute to earlier improvement and development of the relation between the two countries. Mr. Kabashima said, the Kens in Kyushu have rich friendly-to-China tradition, and were enthusiastic in developing friendly exchanges and cooperation with China. China is the largest target country for Kyushu’s trading. The rapid development of China brings precious opportunities to Kens in Kyushu. Under the difficult situation between the two countries, the people-to-people diplomacy undoubtedly will play an important role. The Kens in Kyushu will continuously promote the friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation at the people-to-people and local governmental level, to create conditions to remedy the relation of the two countries earlier.

President Li Xiaolin Met with Dr. Horold Hyunsuk Oh, Ph.D., President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of World Energy Forum on 25th August in Beijing. Dr. Oh introduced that the mandate of World Energy Forum is to advocate energy justice around globe, and wished that he can get assistance from CPAFFC with regard to his annual “World Energy Forum”. President Li gave a brief introduction of CPAFFC, and she noted that being a NGO with a general consultative status of UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), CPAFFC attaches great importance to cooperating with multilateral international institutions in efforts to promote world peace and common development. Zhang Heqiang, Director General of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs is present at the meeting.

On August 20th, Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mr. Pat Breen, Chairman of the Oireachtas (Parliament of Ireland) Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade and the accompanying Irish Ambassador to China, Paul Kavanagh. Mme. Li introduced the CPAFFC’s contribution to enhancing friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries in past 60 years since the Association’s founding. She said that the CPAFFC has established friendly and cooperative relations with nearly 500 non-governmental organizations and institutions in 158 countries, and promoted the establishment of more than 2100 pairs of friendship cities between Chinese and foreign local governments. Chairman Breen thanked Mme. Li for meeting him. He introduced the Irish development in the field of agriculture, economy, culture, and tourism, and expressed the willingness to promote Ireland-China friendly exchanges, strengthen contacts between the Irish parliament and the CPAFFC, and promote practical cooperation. He formally invited Mme. Li to visit Ireland. Vice President Li Jianping, Director General Song Jingwu of the European and Asian Department, and Deputy Director General Zhang Ruoning attended the meeting.

On August 14th, 2014，Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC) met with the U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. They exchanged views on China’s development, China-US relations. Congresswoman Maloney believed that US and China can work together and play a big role  in keeping world peace. She is willing to promote people to people exchanges and cooperation between the two countries together with CPAFFC.

On July 31st, President Li Xiaolin met with H.E. Mme. Sylvie Bermann, the outgoing French Ambassador to China. President Li thanked Ambassador Bermann for her abundant and fruitful works on developing Sino-French relations in her term of office, especially her support to the friendly exchanges developed by CPAFFC. She introduced 2 important events on French affairs in this year: 1. In early this year, the CPAFFC held the reception marking 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France. Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of National People’s Congress and  Claude  Bartolone , President of French National Assembly were present at the reception and delivered important speeches respectively. This  revealed Sino-French relation had reached a high level. 2.In this early November, 4th High-Level Forum of Chinese and French Local Governments will be held in Strasbourg, the capital city of  region Alsace. Preparatory works are carried out smoothly currently. President Li emphasized that, there was a large space of the cooperation between China and France at present, especially in cultural exchange. The CPAFFC would like to work with the French Embassy in China closely, to push the bilateral relation of the two countries to a higher level. Ambassador Bermann said, this year was an important year for Sino-French relation. Currently, the bilateral relation was developing smoothly. During the visit to France of the Chinese President Xi Jinping, Medium and Long-Term Program of Sino-French Relation was signed. The number of the celebrating events marking 50th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic ties were nearly doubled than scheduled 400. She appreciated and spoke highly of CPAFFC’s work on promoting the cooperation between Sino-French local governments and people-to-people exchanges. President Li Xiaolin presented Ambassador Bermann the commemorating stamp album marking 60th anniversary of the founding of CPAFFC. Song Jingwu, Lv Hongwei, Director General and Deputy Director General of Department of European and Asian Affairs attended the meeting.

On the morning of July 30th, President Li Xiaolin met with H.E. Ashok K. Kantha, Indian Ambassador to China. President Li briefed the guests about the events for the celebration of 60th anniversary of the CPAFFC, the commemorations for the 60th anniversary of the initiation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, as well as other bilateral people-to-people exchange projects organized by the CPAFFC. President Li recalled that at the conference marking the 60th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the establishment of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Friendship Award in the purpose of facilitating and encouraging more personals and organizations to carry on the spirits of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and the CPAFFC intends to confer the first group of this Award at an appropriate time. She also expressed the willingness to promote twinning of second group of China-India friendship cities. Both programs shall be in need of support and assistance of the Indian Embassy. Ambassador Kantha thanked President Li for meeting him despite her busy schedule. He hoped to obtain more information about the Friendship Award. He also pointed out that it is of greater significance to look forward to future and further expand people-to-people exchanges. Therefore, he suggested closer cooperations with the CPAFFC with efforts to enhance bilateral exchanges in tourism, youth, education, media, twinning of the second group of China-India friendship cities.

On July 29th, President Li Xiaolin met with Neil Bush, the third son of the 41st U.S. President George H. W. Bush and the younger brother of George W. Bush, the 43rd U.S. President. The two sides held discussion on co-hosting George H. W. Bush 6th Biennial China-U.S. Relations Conference next year. They also exchanged views on China-U.S. relations and international hot spot issue.

On July 17th, President Xi Jinping and the Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff attended the signing ceremony of Framework Cooperation Agreement Between China International Friendship Cities Association and the National Union of State Legislatures. CPAFFC president Li Xiaolin and UNALE president Jose Luis Schafer signed the Agreement on behave of their associations respectively. President Li Xiaolin and President Jose Luis Schafer signed the Framework Cooperation Agreement with the present of Presidents of the two countries Both sides agreed that on the basis of mutual respect and interests, the two associations will launch a series of programs to promote the local governments and cities exchange and cooperation between Brazil and China. For the purpose of implementing this Agreement, the parties shall establish a joint follow-up mechanism. As a breakthrough point, the signing of the Agreement lays a solid foundation for our Association to fully start the local governments cooperation between China and the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, Indian, China and South Africa) and Latin-American countries. President Li Xiaolin, President Jose Luis Schafer and the two vice presidents at the ceremony

On July 10th, President Li Xiaolin met with H.E.Mr.Tapusalaia Toomata, Samoan Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to China. President Li extended gracious welcome to Ambassador Toomata and briefed him on the commemorative events for the 60th anniversary of CPAFFC. She remarked that the mutual exchanges and cooperation with South Pacific island countries stands out as an important part of work for CPAFFC. We would like to promote exchanges and cooperation between localities and cities from both countries based on the principle of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, to achieve win-win situation in various fields of economy and culture, etc.  Ambassador Toomata thanked President Li for meeting him and briefly reviewed upon the friendly exchanges between Samoa and CPAFFC. Ambassador Toomata noted that they would like to establish  Samoa-China Friendship Association so as to deepen traditional relations of friendship with China. In addition, he discussed the possibility of Apia twining friendship city relations with Guangzhou and Shenzhen. In addition, He suggested that CPAFFC may send delegations to attend the International Conference on Small Island Developing States, as it will be held in Apia, Samoa at the end of this August. Finally, the Ambassador remarked that the Samoan Embassy would like to work closely with CPAFFC to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China-Samoa diplomatic relations next year.  Mr. Ji Yongjun, Deputy Director General of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs also attended the meeting.