On the morning of May 19th, Mr Song Jingwu, Vice President of the CPAFFC held a meeting with Mr Lars Bo Larsen, Deputy Head of Mission of the Danish Embassy to China on the preparation of the First Chinese-Danish Regions and Cities Cooperation Forum. The two parties have conducted in-depth exchanges on the details of the First Chinese-Danish Regions and Cities Cooperation Forum including time and place, invitation of guests, theme and sub-topics, as well as its program. Mr Lars Bo Larsen appreciated the CPAFFC’s efforts in the preparation of the First Chinese-Danish Regions and Cities Cooperation Forum, he said that Danish and Chinese state leaders  mentioned the the First Chinese-Danish Regions and Cities Cooperation Forum in multiple occasions which embodies the importance that senior leaders of the two countries have attached to it. Mr Song Jingwu said that the CPAFFC will maintain close communication with the Danish Embassy to China and together fulfill the preparation of the First Chinese-Danish Regions and Cities Cooperation Forum.

On May 16th, Mr Song Jingwu, Vice President of the CPAFFC hosted a banquet for Mr Arder Carson, Lord Mayor of Belfast from Northern Ireland, UK. Mr Song Jingwu welcomed Mr Carson’s visit to China, introduced the functions of the CPAFFC and its work in facilitating the cooperation between local governments from China and abroad and the related mechanisms it has built up, especially the Inaugural China-UK Local Leaders Exchange Program which was held in the UK in March this year, and welcomed Belfast’s participation in the next China-UK Local Leaders Exchange Program. Mr Song has pointed out that the CPAFFC is willing to help facilitate the substantive cooperation between Belfast and Chinese provinces and municipalities on the basis of the long term friendly cooperation between the CPAFFC and Northern Ireland Government, thus inject new impetus into the  relations between China and the UK as well as China and Northern Ireland. Mr Carson appreciated the CPAFFC’s hospitality and said it is his first visit to China, of which the purpose is to sign the agreement of establishing friendship relations between Belfast and Shenyang. He introduced the cooperation between Belfast and China and elaborated the plans for Belfast’s future development--the Belfast Initiative. According to him, as the 4th biggest FDI destination in the UK, Belfast will make use of the reduction of company taxation in the Northern Ireland to speed up the development of its commercial properties, retailing, leisure, tourism and film industries, Belfast is willing to participate in the events held by the CPAFFC and to strengthen the cooperation with China in the above fields.

At the invitation of Mr. Mohammed Khalil, President of Morocco China Friendship and Exchanges Association (MCFEA), Mrs. Lin Yi, Vice President of the Chinese people's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC), led a 3-member delegation to Morocco from 21st to 24th, April 2016 to attend the First China-Morocco Friendship Forum, co-organized by the MCFEA and CPAFFC with the theme of "the Gorgeous Bloom for the Spring of the Silk Road in Morocco". Mr. Mustapha Khalfi, Minister of Communication and Spokesman of the government, Mr. Lahcen Daoudi, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Training, Mr. Abdul Samid Sukel, Governor of Rabat-Salé-Kenitra Region, Mr. Mohammed Sadiq, Mayor of Rabat city, Mr. Mohamed Savyan, Mayor of Chefchaouen city, Mr. Mohamed Idamari, Vice Mayor of Tangier City, Mr. Sun Shuzhong, the Chinese ambassador to Morocco, Mr. Jiang Hong, Chairman of Shenyang Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC), Mrs. Zong Ming, Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Municipal Government, Mr. Ping Xinguang, Vice Chairman of Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the CPPCC, Mrs. Hu Ying, Vice  President of Jilin Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Mrs. Chen Aizhen, Vice President of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and other delegates from local governments of China to attend the forum. About 150 participants from China and Morocco held discussions on promoting friendship city relationship during the forum. The local television and news media reported the activity.  After the forum, Vice President Lin Yi met with Mr. Abdelaziz Omari, Mayor of Casablanca city and Minister for Relations with Parliament and Civil Society, Vice Governor Mr. Abdul Hamid Jamahri and Vice Governor Fouad Qadir of Casablanca region and Mr. Abdullah Muanasm, Secretary General of the region. She also attended Chinese Culture Week, organized by the Department of Literature and Humanities of Hassan II University and Confucius Institute in Morocco.

From April 14th to 16th, Vice President Xie Yuan led a CPAFFC delegation and attended BRICS Friendship Cities Conclave 2016 in Mumbai, India. Nearly 100 representatives from BRICS central and local governments, political, economic and cultural fields and enterprises including Mr. Shri Venkaiah Naidu, union Minister of Urban Development of India, Mr. Alok Dimri, Joint Secretary of Ministry of External Affairs of India, Mr. Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra of India, Mr. Diego Blanc, Chief Advisor for Institutional Relations and Bilateral Cooperation of Brazil, Mr. Sergey N. Movchan, Vice Governor of St Petersburg of Russia and Mr. Modjadji Malahlela, Chief Director Uban Development Planning of South Africa attended the forum. Vice President Xie Yuan delivered a speech on local government exchanges and cooperation among BRICS nations at the opening ceremony. Mr. Xie noted that CPAFFC and CIFCA will continue to promote people to people exchanges and enhance BRICS people’s friendship, build more exchanges platforms and expand BRICS cooperation, and support friendship-city program to inspire BRICS cities’ vitality. China will assume presidency of BRICS Summint next year. CPAFFC and CIFCA will continue to host BRICS Friendship Cities and Local Governments Cooperation Forum in China then. Mr. Xie invited all representatives to go to China and attend the forum in 2017. Representatives from Shanghai and Qingdao exchanged views on topics of urban management, house planning, climate change, energy utilization, waste management, etc. with other participants and reached comprehensive consensus. During the forum, Vice President Xie Yuan met with Mr. Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra of India,Mr. Sergey N. Movchan, Vice Governor of St Petersburg of Russia, Mr. Narinder Nayar, President of Mumbai First and Mr. Fernandez, President of India-China Friendship Association respectively and reached extensive consensus with them on cooperation in the fields of economy, culture, education, friendship city relations and so on. Mr. Xie also invited them to attend the 5th China International Friendship Cities Conference in Chongqing in November this year.   Vice President Xie Yuan delivering a speech at the opening ceremony  Vice President Xie Yuan briefing firendship-city work of China to Mr. Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra CPAFFC delegation meeting with St Petersburg delegation Vice President Xie Yuan talking with Mr. Narinder Nayar, President of Mumbai First Vice President Xie Yuan presenting a souvenir to Mr. Fernandez, President of India-China Friendship Association

On April 11th, Vice President Xie Yuan met with the U.S. State and Local Government Delegation headed by Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Tyler August. Other delegates include elected officials from Florida, Georgia, Texas, Utah, Michigan and Nebraska.  VP Xie extended warm welcome to the delegation and briefed about the commitment by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC) in China’s people-to-people diplomacy and efforts in consolidating sub-national exchanges and cooperation at various levels and areas. Facilitated by the CPAFFC and US State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF), the first China-U.S. Sub-national Legislature Cooperation Forum will be held in Hawaii this June. This marks a new exchange mechanism between the two countries. VP Xie expressed his wishes that the members of the delegation gain better understanding about China through this trip and devote themselves to the future China-U.S. subnational exchanges.  On behalf of the delegation, Speaker Pro Tempore August expressed the sincere thanks to the CPAFFC and treasured the opportunity of visiting China. They will contribute to promoting more pragmatic cooperation between the two countries. 

On April 9, CPAFFC Vice President Lin Yi met with the delegation led by Hon. Mr. A. A. Yari, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Zamfara State. The delegation also includes Hon. Mr. Jibrilla Umar, Governor of Adamawa State. Mme. Lin welcomed Mr. A. A. Yari to visit the CPAFFC and introduced CPAFFC’s history, mission, as well as a series of people-to-people friendship activities with Nigeria and Africa in recent years. She also elaborated on the CPAFFC’s exchanges with African local governments, and said that the CPAFFC would like to actively cooperate with the NGF to further China-Nigeria local government exchanges. Mr. A. A. Yari spoke highly of the CPAFFC’s work in enhancing people-to-people friendship and local government exchanges with African countries. He expected to strengthen cooperation with the CPAFFC and do more contributions to promoting cooperation between Nigeria-China local governments.  

On April 5th, Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC met with the delegation led by Hon. Laurence Skelly, Minister for Economic Development of Isle of Man, a British Crown Dependency. Vice President Song Jingwu welcomed Skelly’s visit to China on the invitation of CPAFFC, reviewed the friendly cooperation between the CPAFFC and Isle of Man, and introduced the international cooperation mechanisms for local governments build up by CPAFFC, including the recent China-UK Local Leaders Exchange Program. Skelly introduced the advantages of Isle of Man in Financial Service, ICT Application, Bio-medicare, Harbor Economy, Shipping Registry and Clean Energy, and hoped to strengthen the cooperation with China in the above fields. 

Mr. Tang Jiaxuan, President of the China-Japan Friendship Association (CJFA) met with Governor OGAWA HIROSHI，Speaker INOUE TADATOSHI of Fukuoka-ken Prefecture and the delegation on March 28, 2016. CPAFFC Vice President Song Jingwu was present. The both sides exchanged their ideas on the topics of common concerned, such as the exchanges, the local and non-governmental cooperation between China and Japan as well as the prospect of the Chinese economy development. Governor OGAWA HIROSHI's visit to China is at the invitation of the CPAFFC and Jiangsu Province. After visiting to Beijing, Governor OGAWA HIROSHI would visit Nanjing, Jiangsu Province to attend the 20th Anniversary activity of Jiangsu--Fukuoka-ken Friendship Sakura Park.

On March 25, the ASEAN-China Governors/Mayors Dialogue 2016, co-hosted by CPAFFC and Hainan Provincial People’s Government, was held during the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference. Mr. Xie Yuan, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr.Liu Cigui, Governor of Hainan Province and local government leaders from Tianjin Municipality, Shaanxi Province, Nanjing City, Qingdao City, Kampong Cham Province of Cambodia, Vientiane City of the Laos, Penang State of Malaysia, Catanduanes Province of the Philippines, Singapore, Phuket Province of Thailand and Ben Tre Province of Vietnam attended the dialogue. Vice President Xie expressed in his welcoming speech that the cooperation between ASEAN-China local governments not only reflects the aspiration of grass root and bring benefit to the people, but also serves as an important supplement and impetus to the countries’ relations. As this year marks the Silver Wedding of the ASEAN-China dialogue relations, the two sides should take the advantage of the platform to enhance the people-to-people friendly exchanges and strive to build a closer community of common destiny between ASEAN and China. Governor Liu Cigui pointed out in his speech that Hainan Province, a strategic fulcrum in the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, enjoys close connections with ASEAN countries in geological, cultural and folk custom ways. Hainan would like to take the dialogue as an opportunity to strengthen the in-depth communication and cooperation with the provinces and cities of ASEAN countries for mutually-beneficial outcome and common development. The governors and mayors from two sides conducted broad and intensive discussions on the main theme of “Role of Local Government in International Cooperation on Production Capacity ” and reached many consensuses. The attendees also jointly signed the Common Declaration.

On Mar.16th, Vice President Song Jingwu met with Ivan Kuznetsov, First Deputy Mayor of Kazan of Russian Federation at CPAFFC. Kuznetsov conveyed the cordial greetings of Mr. IIsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan and Co-President of UCLG, to President Li Xiaolin and Vice President Song Jingwu. He said that Kazan has been conducting frequent exchanges of visits and close cooperation with cities in China such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in recent years and would like to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in ASPAC, EURASIA and global local governments with CPAFFC under the framework of UCLG. Song said that Mayor Metshin has served as Co-President of UCLG for two terms and played a positive role in promoting the development of this organization. CPAFFC attaches great importance to the cooperation of Chinese and Russian local governments. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Between China and Russia. We will hold a grand commemorative event this year and we would like to seize the opportunity to promote the cooperation between Chinese and Russian local governments, especially the cooperation under the framework of UCLG. General Secretary of EUROASIA of UCLG Rasikh Sagitov and Deputy Director General of European and Asian Department Zhang Ruoning was present at the meeting.