At the invitation of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), a 5-member delegation led by Mr. Scott Woodham, General Manager of the Space Camp Turkey visited China from April 26th to May 5th, 2015. During the visit in Beijing, Ms. Lin Yi, Vice President of the CPAFFC hosted a welcome luncheon for the delegation.Turkish Ambassador Mr. Ali Murat Ersoy also attended the luncheon. Besides Beijing, the delegation also visited Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai. Ms. Liu Min, Vice President of Sichuan Provincal People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Mr. Ning Song, Deputy Director General of Guilin Municipal Foreign Affairs Office met with the delegation. In Chengdu and Shanghai, the delegation visited Guangya International School and Shanghai Aerospace Enthusiast’s Center.
Ms. Lin Yi welcomed Mr. Woodham’s visit and thanked the Space Camp Turkey on behalf of the CPAFFC for offering scholarships to China since 2009 and arranging Chinese students to participate in the international space camp in Turkey. This year, the CPAFFC will send 17 students from Hubei Province to participate in the summer camp. the CPAFFC pays more attention to develop the friendship exchanges with Turkey. During these years, the CPAFFC maintains frequent exchanges with Turkish Chinese Friendship Association,Turkish Chinese Women’s Friendship & Culture Association and the Space Camp Turkey. These organizations have become the important channels to promote bilateral friendly relations.
Mr. Woodham thanked the CPAFFC for the warm hospitality and thoughtful arrangements. He said that the Space Camp Turkey has long-term cooperation with NASA by training teenagers between the age of 9 to 15. Meanwhile, the camp provides for young students from various countries a platform for networking. We hope through their participation in camp activities, the teenagers will establish friendship, learn to respect each other and understand the diversity of cultures in the world. The Space Camp Turkey wants to strengthen cooperation with the CPAFFC and make joint efforts to promote the international youth exchanges for this common goal.
Ambassador Ersoy said the cooperation between the CPAFFC and Turkish Chinese Friendship Association, Turkish Chinese Women’s Friendship & Culture Association and the Space Camp Turkey has played a positive role in promoting the bilateral friendly exchanges between Turkey and China. The Turkish Embassy in China is willing to continue cooperating with the CPAFFC to further promote the establishment of more sister cities and carrying out cultural exchanges between the two countries.
During the visit in Chengdu, the delegation exchanged the views of the construction of economic zones with Sichuan Provincal People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. As the Space Camp Turkey is founded by Aegean Free Zone in Izmir of Turkey, Mr. Woodham expressed the willingness to actively share experience between Aegean Free Zone and Sichuan Province. During the visit in Guilin, Mr. Ning Song briefed the delegation about the exchanges between the sister cities of Guilin and Murat Pasha in Turkey. Mr. Woodham welcomed a delegation from Guilin to visit Izmir.
