At the invitation of CPAFFC, the Tanzanian Mayors Delegation headed by Mr. Kagyabukama E. Kiliba, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Regional Administration and Local Government, Prime Minister’s Office of Tanzania paid a friendship visit to Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai from Sep.8-17,2013 for the purpose of learning and exchanging experiences of city planing and management. CPAFFC Vice President Feng Zuoku held the working meeting with the delegation. In 3 cities, the delegation also visited Beijing City Planning Exhibition, Supervision Center for Urban Management of Beijing Dongcheng District, Hangzhou Qianjiang New District, Hangzhou Economic & Technological  Development Zone, Shanghai Zhongyuan Liangwan Housing Improvement Project, the Community of Caoyang New Village, Shanghai Laogang Solid Waste Landfill, Shanghai Pudong Planning Hall and held meeting with the officials.  

Feng Zuoku, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met and entertained Giddings, Premeir of Tasmania and her delegation at CPAFFC on September 12th, 2013. Vice President Feng Zuoku warmly welcomed Premier Giddings and her delegation for their visit to CPAFFC, and introduced the aims and goals as well as the recent years’ development of CPAFFC. He reviewed the development process of China-Australia relations and pointed out the broad prospects of China-Australia cooperation in the fields of economy, education, culture and tourism, etc.. Giddings appreciated the warm reception held by CPAFFC and briefly introduced the basic information about Tasmania. Giddings hoped to attract more investment and tourists to Tasmania by working in close cooperation with Chinese local governments. Giddings also expressed her thanks to Vice President Feng and her wish to make joint efforts with CPAFFC to promote the development of friendship between Chinese and Australian people.

  On September 6th, Vice President Xie Yuan met with the U.S. Utah State Legislature delegation headed by its House Speaker and Senate President. Vice President Xie introduced the major work done by CPAFFC in recent years in promoting China-U.S. sub-national relations, and hoped to work with Utah to make joint efforts in promoting friendly exchanges, practical, mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation between our two countries. Mrs. Rebecca Lockhart, Speaker of the House of Utah, thanked the Chinese host for the hospitality shown to the delegation, and wished to deepen exchange and cooperation at sub-national level with China.  

On 11-13 August, CPAFFC led a delegation of the People’s Congress of Jinan City to attend the annual meeting of U.S. National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) held in Atlanta, Georgia. The purpose of the visit is to promote the exchanges between China’s local law makers and U.S. state legislatures and to explore the opportunities for future cooperation. During the meeting, Ms. Terie Norelli, President of NCSL, held a special reception for the Chinese delegation and the U.S. legislators who visited China in recent years to share their experience on bilateral exchanges and cooperation. 

  Vice President Feng Zuoku met Edward Ssekandi, Vice President of Uganda and Chairperson of the Forum on China-Africa Local Government Cooperation on July 30. Feng briefed Ssekandi all the activities organized after the establishment of the Forum last August, and appreciated the support from Ssekandi. Ssekandi said, Feng’s briefing is vivid and comprehensive. As the chairperson, he was dedicated improving the Forum’s popularity in Africa and hoped to set up a branch of the Forum and a branch of the CAPFA in every country of the continent. He also wished to develope the Forum to be an prestiges international NGO under the framework of the United Nations.

At the invitation of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), a delegation formed by 23 mayors from 9 countries including Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Salvador, Ecuador, Columbia, Bolivia, Paraguay and Mexico visited Beijing and Tianjin from May 19th to 26th. During the visit, Mr. Xie Yuan, the vice president of the CPAFFC, Mr. Tian Guiming, the deputy secretary general of Tianjin People’s Political Consultative Conference and vice president of Tianjin People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries held banquets for the delegation respectively. With the assistance and arrangement of Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Mr. Yu Debin, the deputy director of Beijing Tourism Administration and Mr. Sun Shuo, the deputy district chief of Xicheng District held working symposiums with the delegation on development of tourism, protection of historic and culture heritage, city planning and building of communities. During its visit in Beijing, the delegation also met and discussed with the persons in charge of Department of American and Oceanian Affairs of the CPAFFC on issues of friendly exchanges especially the works of friendship cities between the Chinese and Latin American local governments. The delegation also visited to Beijing Economic-technological Development Area, the head office of Baidu company, Tianjin Urban Planning Exhibition Hall and Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City in Binhai New District. The visit achieved positive results.

Invited by the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the CPAFFC visited India on May 19 to 21, to officially sign the Agreement to Facilitate Cooperation and Linkages Between Chinese and Indian Cities & States/Provinces with Mr. S. Jaishankar, Ambassador of India to China. According to the Agreement, the CPAFFC and CIFCA will collaborate closely with the Ministry of External Affairs of India, to promote the establishment of friendship cities between local governments and enhance wide range of people-to-people communications of the two countries. Premier Li Keqiang, who was then visiting India, attended the Signing Ceremony with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

At the invitation of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Mr. Reinhold Bocklet, the vice president of the Bavarian state parliament, the chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee of Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern e.V. (CSU) and the former chairman of Committee of Legal Affairs of European Parliament visited China during May 6th to 12th. Liu Dongdong, the deputy director of Foreign Affairs Committee of National People’s Congress (NPC), Li Jianping, the vice president of CPAFFC, Yu Jiancheng, the deputy director of Standing Committee of Shandong People’s Congress, Zhou Taitong, the vice president of Shanghai People’s Political Consultative Conference met with Bocklet and his group respectively. H.E. Dr.Michael Schaefer, the German Ambassador to China held a working meeting with him. During his visit in Beijing, Mr. Bocklet made a report, titled European Debt Crisis and Future of Europe in the CPAFFC. Including Mr. Ma Canrong, the former Chinese Ambassador to Germany, more than 40 people from circles of diplomacy, academy and press were present. Vice President Li Jianping hosted the report. The straight and objective analysis of Mr. Bocklet was praised by all the audience. China Radio International made an interview to him. During the visit in Shandong and Shanghai, Mr. Bocklet and his group inspected the aid-to-China programs such as Land Rearrangement and New Rural Construction Program in South Zhanglou Village in Qingzhou City, the Training Center for City Teachers in Weifang City, Shanghai Technical Institute of Electronics and Information, which carried out by Hans Seidel Foundation. When he heard that the effect of those programs had spread to the west of China and made contribution to Western Development, Mr. Bocklet made a high compliment and expressed the willing of continuing to deepen the aid-to-China programs. After visiting to Shanghai Children’s Palace, he expressed that he would strive for promoting the exchange between the Chinese and German youth, and expect more Chinese Youth Art Troup to visit Bavaria. The long-term program experts of Hans Seidel Foundation in Beijing, Shanghai and Shandong were in company.

A 2-people working delegation, headed by Mr. Patrick Mutabwire, Acting Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Local Government of Uganda, paid a visit to Beijing from May 1 to 4, 2013, at the invitation of the CPAFFC. The delegation came to discuss with the CPAFFC on a co-organized Dialogue for Governors and Mayors of China and East African Community in November this year, and to study on the Chinese development experience of its local economy.

On April 26th ,Vice President Feng Zuoku met Mr.Bun Narith, Director General of APSARA Authority of Cambodia who paid a visit to China at the invitation of Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (BPAFFC). Narith thanked Feng for meeting his delegation and briefed on APSARA Authority and the Cambodia-China cooperation on cultural relics protection. Narith said that this visit was mainly to discuss with BPAFFC and Summer Palace Park on conducting the China-Cambodia Exchange Exhibition of Pictures on Cultural Relics this year. Vice President Feng welcomed Narith’s visit and introduced to him about the work of CPAFFC and China-Cambodia Friendship Association. Feng also indicated that the CPAFFC was willing to provide the necessary support to ensure the Pictures Exhibition a success under the framework of activities marking the 55th Anniversary of China-Cambodia Diplomatic ties and the China-Cambodia Friendship Year in 2013. Mr. Deng Shaohui, Vice President of BPAFFC and Mr. Li Linjie, Deputy Director of Summer Palace Park were present during the meeting.