The 2015 United Cities and Local Government Mainland Chinese Members Meeting was held in Beijing on 11th March. The meeting was organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Representatives from 22 mainland Chinese members attended the meeting to discuss how best to conduct local government international exchange in the framework of UCLG.

On February 6th, Mr. Zhang Heqiang, director-general of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs met with Ms. Kristi Tanner, managing director of JobsOhio from the state of Ohio. JobsOhio is a private corporation authorized by the Ohio Government to be in charge of job creation and investment promotion. Mr. Zhang said that Ohio is an important state in the U.S. and it had played an important role in promoting China-U.S. relations. Ohio established sister-state relationship with Hubei province in 1979, which is the first pair of sister province and state between our two countries. The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) has been dedicating itself in promoting sub-national exchanges and cooperation between China and the U.S. CPAFFC is looking forward to playing an active role in promoting the relationship between China and the state of Ohio. Ms. Tanner gave a brief introduction about the state of Ohio and its investment environment. She stressed that Ohio attaches great importance to promoting exchanges with China. She would help persuade Governor Kasich to visit China at his earliest convenience.

Vice President Feng Zuoku met with Mr. Yeou Jung Hyup, Representative of Governors Association of Korea (GAOK) and Counselor of Korea Embassy in Beijing on 24 December 2014. Mr. Feng extended welcome to Mr. Yeou for performing his new post in Beijing and gratitude to GAOK for its cooperation with CPAFFC in jointly holding Conference on China-Japan-Korea Friendship Cities in past years.  Mr. Feng expressed hope that the two sides continue cooperation in holding the 17th Conference on China-Japan-Korea Friendship Cities in Yiwu of China’s Zhejiang Province in 2015 and made proposal of jointly holding China-Korea Youth Friendship Soccer Games in 2015 in a bid to strengthen China-Korea cooperation of local governments. Mr. Yeou said that GAOK is willing to join in efforts with CPAFFC in holding the 17th Conference on China-Japan-Korea Friendship Cities and obtaining necessary assistance of local governments in Korea for the proposed China-Korea Youth Friendship Soccer Games.

On December 10, Vice President Xie Yuan met with U.S. state and local officials’ delegation headed by Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch of State of Wisconsin and exchanged views with them on China-U.S. subnational exchanges and cooperation. The delegation is composed of young and middle-aged state legislators, mayors, and city or county level officials from eight U.S. states including Wisconsin, Washington, New York, Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee, Kansas and Missouri.

On December 2, CPAFFC Vice President Hu Sishe met with the INTERKULTUR delegation led by President Gunter Titsch, and discussed with the delegation about the two associations’ further cooperation. Mr. Titsch first conveyed his congratulations on the success of the 2014 China International Friendship Cities Conference (CIFCC) and expressed his sincere gratitude for inviting his delegation to attend the Conference. He said that since our two associations established contacts, we have achieved fruitful results. This year, we have signed the Cooperation Agreement, co-organized “Walter Sheel Forum- 2014 China Germany Culture Forum” and jointly promote a full success of the 8th World Choir Games. Mr. Titsch spoke highly of CPAFFC’s active role in enhancing people’s friendship and promoting exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign localities. He hoped that the two sides can further deepen their cooperation and explore new opportunities to promote multi-areas cooperation between Chinese and German localities. Mr. Titsch also invited Mr. Hu Sishe to attend the 9th World Choir Games in Sochi in 2016. Mr. Hu thanked Mr. Titsch and his delegation for attending the 2014 CIFCC and expressed his gratitude for INTERKULTUR’s contribution in promoting exchanges, particularly in culture, between Chinese and German localities. The two associations have jointly established a working mechanism of regular meeting. On the basis of existing cooperation achievements, the two sides need to further enhance practical cooperation to connect friendship-city establishment work with local cultural exchanges. Mr. Hu suggested to involve the two sides’ next step cooperation into our series activities of “BCIM local authorities cooperation” next year so as to improve cooperation, expand influence and jointly promote exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign localities. 

On December 2nd, Vice President Xie Yuan met with Ms. Mary Kane, Chairman and CEO of Sister Cities International of the United States and discussed on future cooperation.

Vice President Xie Yuan held a meeting with the US Council of State Governments delegation headed by State Senator Doug Overbey of Tennessee on December 1, 2014. The delegation also includes State Senator Daniel Lederman of South Dakota , State Representative Matt Hatchett of Georgia and CSG Federal Policy Director Andy Karellas. Vice President Xie stressed the great importance the CPAFFC has attached to the subnational cooperation between China and the United States and expressed the wishes that cooperation would be further expanded and exchanges at different levels of government be strengthened so as to lift the bilateral relationship to a new height.

On November 28th to 29th , hosted by CPAFFC, CIFCA and Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government, undertaken by Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office, 2014 China International Friendship Cities Conference and Guangzhou International Urban Innovation Conference were successfully held in Guangzhou Baiyun International Conference Center. More than 600 guests including more than 30 Vice Mayors and higher level officials of Chinese cities, more than 80 Director Generals and Vice Director Generals of Chinese provincial or municipal foreign affairs offices and more than 60 foreign Mayors and head of local government organizations from 277 cities and organizations of 56 countries and regions attended the conference. Mr. Chen Changzhi, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People''''s Congress and Chairman of the Central Committee of China Democratic National Construction Association，Mr. Li Jianping, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Xie Yuan, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Hu Sishe, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Ma Xingrui, Deputy Secretary of CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Mr. Ren Xuefeng, Secretary of CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee, Mr. Zhou Tianhong, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of Guangdong Provincial People''''s Congress, Mr. Liu Zhigeng, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr. Chen Jianhua, Mayor of Guangzhou, Mr. Lin Yifu, Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and former Senior Vice President of the World Bank, Mr. Eugenio Rojas Apaza, President of the Senate of The Plurinational Legislative Assembly of Bolivia, Mr. Willem Kok, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, etc. attended the opening ceremony. Mr. Chen Changzhi, Mr. Hu Sishe, Mr. Ma Xingrui, Mr. Chen Jianhua, Mr. Eugenio Rojas Apaza, Mr. Willem Kok and Mr.José Luís Schafer delivered speeches respectively at the opening ceremony.  With the theme of “Friendship Cities and Urban Innovation”, Top Talk of Cities and theme forums on “Urbanization and Smart City ” and “Silk Road and Local Governments Cooperation” were held at the conference . At the newly twined friendship cities signing ceremony, CIFCA signed a MOU with Association of Communes of Romania (ACOR), and Guangzhou signed agreements on the establishment of friendship cities relations with Pokhra, Nepal and Quito, Ecuador. Chinese and foreign provinces/cities which had made outstanding contributions to the course of friendship cities in the past two years were awarded at the conference. 5 Chinese provinces/cities were granted the Award to Friendship Cities for Special Contribution, 38 Chinese provinces/ cities/ prefecture-level cities were granted the Award to Friendship Cities for Exchanges and Cooperation, 81 foreign cities were granted the Award to Friendship Cities for Exchanges and Cooperation with China. Photo exhibitions on the history of CPAFFC and achievements of china international friendship cities were held during conference. It was decided that 2016 China International Friendship Cities Conference will be held in Shandong Province.  

Mr. Haim Bibas, Chairman of the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel led a 10-members delegation visiting China at the invitation of CPAFFC. The delegation visited Shanghai, Haikou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, attending the UCLG World Council Meeting held in Haikou city, as well as the 2014 China International Friendship Cities Conference in Guangzhou during 20 to 29 November. President Li Xiaolin met with the delegation, she welcomed the delegation to the UCLG World Council Meeting. Then she listened to the cities’ introductions from mayors in the delegation, asked about the administrative management system in Israel, and recalled the scenary when she planted the friendship tree together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu. The delegation expressed their delight of coming to China, and they said that this visit would be a chance for Israeli mayors to know further about China, they hoped to enhance cooperation in all fields with China through this visit and they were looking forward to meeting Ms. Li Xiaolin next time in Israel. Mr. Hu Sishe, Vice President of CPAFFC, held banquet for delegation, he said that CPAFFC and FLAI had started lasting exchange ever since 1995, both sides played important roles in promoting exchange of local authorities between China and Israel. Mr. Xie Xiaodan, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou city, met with the delegation during the 2014 China International Friendship Cities Conference. Mr. Meir Halevy, Mayor of Eilat city met with Ms. Bai Yuzhen, Deputy Director General of Foreign Affairs Office in Ningxia Autonomous Region; Mr. Adi Eldar, Mayor of Karmiel city, met with Mr. Cheng Huarong, Deputy Director General of Foreign Affairs Office of Huangshan city; Mr. Eliyahu Barda, Mayor of Migdal Ha''''Emek city, met with Mr. Cui Yuping, Deputy Director General of Foreign Affairs Office of Harbin city. Both sides discussed promoting economic and trade exchange, assigning persons in charge of cities’ communication, students exchange, agricultural programs and so on. Delegation visited Shanghai Municipal Planning Exhibition Hall in Shanghai. They met with managers in Shenzhen Kuantech Co. Ltd in Shenzhen, discussing the cooperation on civil lightening system.

At the invitation of CPAFFC and organized by the Council of the Federation of Canada, a delegation of 360 members, including Premiers of Prince Edward Island, Ontario and Quebec, government officials, business leaders, scholars and artists from the three provinces, visited China in late October. Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of our association, hosted a welcoming reception at the Harmony Garden in our compound and signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Prince Edward Island and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries with Honorable Robert Ghiz, Premier of Prince Edward Island Province of Canada. Mme.Li Xiaolin Delivering a speech at the Welcoming Reception of the Canadian Provincial Premiers Delegation In her speech, Mme. Li Xiaolin pointed out that we will work closely with Canadian counterpart to promote the establishment of China-Canada provincial governors exchange mechanism with which we could deepen the understanding among provincial governments of our two countries so as to explore more opportunities to be discovered for cooperation in a more extensive range. Honorable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario Province of Canada, indicated that even with a variety of high tech communication means face-to-face meeting can never be replaced by any other means of telecommunication. We should establish more such platforms to promote more face-to-face communication. The delegation visited Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Sanya etc. and their sister provinces in China. During their visit in Beijing, Mr. Wan Gang, Minister of Science and Technology, Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mr. Jiang Daming, Minister of Land and Resources and Mr. Huang Shuhe, Vice Chairman of State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Committee met with the delegation separately. Signing Ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Prince Edward Island and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Delegation meeting with Mr. Wan Gang, Minister of Science and Technology, Vice Chairman of CPPCC