Director General Zhang Heqiang of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs attended the 2015 Annual Conference of Sister Cities International(SCI) in Minneapolis, Minnesota from July 16 to 20, 2015, further promoting the exchanges and cooperation between CPAFFC and SCI. During the conference, he made a remark at the 2015 Annual Business Meeting, highlighting the continuous cooperation relationship between CPAFFC and SCI, and announcing the upcoming U.S.-China Sister Cities Conference to take place in Chicago from October 22 to 24 this year. He also encouraged all sides involved to actively participate in this event.  

  On July 18 2015, H.E. Mr. Zhang Gaoli, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, together with his delegation visited the Photo Exhibition on Ho Chi Minh and China-Vietnam Relations, which was sponsored by CPAFFC and Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) at Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi. CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin and VUFO Chairman Vu Xuan Hong accompanied Zhang Gaoli at the Exhibition. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Ho Chi Minh and 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam.  With more than 80 pictures, the Exhibition reflected the remarkable contributions made by Ho Chi Minh and advocated the traditional friendship between Chinese and Vietnamese people.  The Exhibition consists of three parts. Part I “Lay the Foundation of Friendship during Revolution”, recalls the initiation of “Comrade and Brother” friendship by Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong as well as other former state leaders of China. Part II “Inherit Friendship Tradition”, emphasizes the launching of the 16-Chinese Character Principle and “Four Good” Spirit by Chinese and Vietnamese state leaders in light of the changing situations in the world and region since 1990s, which has promoted the cooperation in various fields and the development of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation.  Part III “Deepen People-to-People Friendship”, reflects the positive role played by the non-governmental organizations in China and Vietnam for consolidating the friendship basis of public opinion following the trend of the development of bilateral relations.

At the invitation of the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, the vice president Song Jingwu led CPAFFC delegation to visit Tokyo, Sapporo and other places in Japan from July 13 to 17. The delegation respectively met with President Kuroi Senji, Vice President Kurihara Komaki of the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, Vice President Ikeda Hiromasa of the Soka Gakkai, Mayor Akimoto Katsuhiro of Sapporo and Director of Tsutsumi Sutsumi Takao of Japan Four Seasons Modern Art Gallery and held talks respectively with them and exchanged opinions on further strengthening people-to-people exchange and extensive cooperation under the current situation During their visit, the delegation met with Cheng Yonghua, the Chinese Ambassador in Japan, Sun Zhengyong, Consul General of the people’s republic of China in Sapporo.  

On July 17th, Mr. Ji Yongjun, Deputy Director General of American and Oceanian Department met with a delegation led by Mr. Elwood Donaldson, the Bahamian Ambassador to UNESCO. The both sides exchanged their opinions on the communication and development of bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, commerce, culture and tourism.  Mrs. Julie Campbell,N Charge’ d’affaires of the Bahamian Embassy to China participated in the meeting.  

On 15th, July, 2015, Chinese vice president Li Yuanchao met with the delegation of Japanese orphans of the Chinese Peopl’s war of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Li Yuanchao said, China and Japan both suffered from the War of Aggression of Japanese militarism in Modern times. After the war, Chinese people have brought up thousands of Japanese war orphans, which reveal the breadth of mind of Chinese people. Japanese war orphans also actively promote the friendship between China and Japan.  This year is the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Based on China-Japan the Four Political Documents, China will promote the improvement and development of friendship with Japan, in the spirit of learning from history and facing up the future. Japanese war orphans expressed that they will never forget Chinese people’s upbringing and loving kindness, and they will spare no effort to fulfill the wish that China and Japan can be friends forever. Li Xiaolin, president of CPAFFC, also attended the above meeting.

On July 15th, CPAFFC Vice President Lin Yi met with Kumba Momoh, Deputy Head of Mission of Sierra Leone Embassy in China. Mme. Lin welcomed Mme. Momoh to visit CPAFFC and introduced CPAFFC’s work on Forum on China Africa Local Government Cooperation (CALGC Forum), as well as its exchanges with Sierra Leone-China Friendship Association. She said that the CPAFFC hopes to further cooperation with the embassy to further promote the exchanges in all fields between the two countries. Mme. Momoh thanked Mme. Lin Yi for sparing the time to meet her. She also extended sincere thanks, on behalf of the Sierra Leone government, to the Chinese government and people for their contribution to fight against the Ebola disease. She said the embassy will continue to strengthen communication with CPAFFC, so as to promote friendly exchanges between Sierra Leone and China at all levels.

  On July 14, Vice President Hu Sishe attended the reception held by the Fijian Embassy to China for welcoming Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama of the Republic of Fiji visiting China. During the reception, CPAFFC Vice President Hu Sishe had a cordial talk with Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and conveyed that our association would like to enhance the friendly relations with Fiji through people-to-people contacts coupled with the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between the Republic of Fiji and China. Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama expressed his expectation to further the cooperation in various fields between our two countries .

  On July 14th, CPAFFC Vice President Lin Yi met with Dato’ Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, President of Malaysia-China Friendship Association(PPMC). Vice President Lin welcomed Majid to visit CPAFFC ,congratulated him to be re-elected as the PPMC President and sang a high praise on the positive contributions made by PPMC to the people-to-people friendship between the two countries. Lin introduced mainly on the CPAFFC’s work on friendship cities as well as the ASEAN-China Governors/Mayors Dialogue in March this year. President Majid thanked Lin for sparing the time to meet him and informed the re-election and future work plan of PPMC. Majid expressed the willingness to enhance the cooperation with CPAFFC on the existing programs like ASEAN-China Youth Cultural Exchange Festival and Conference on ASEAN-China People-to-People Friendship as well as on the exchange visits and Malaysia-China scholars’s communication.

On July 10, Vice President Song Jingwu had a working meeting with D. Kurbanov,Uzbekistan Ambassador to China. The two sides had in-depth exchange of views on promoting people-to-people friendship relations, and cooperation in the field of pragmatic cooperation and humanities between the two countries.

Organized by CPAFFC and the Ghana Embassy in China, the celebration of 55th Anniversary of China-Ghana Diplomatic Relations was held in Beijing on July 10, 2015. Mr. Zhang Ming, Vice Foreign Minister, Mme. Lin Yi, Vice President of CPAFFC, H.E. Anani Demuyakor, Ambassador of Ghana to China, African Diplomatic Corps and other 400 guests from both sides attended the celebration. In her speech, Mme. Lin Yi said that China and Ghana enjoy traditional friendship, which was forged and cultivated by older generations of leaders of the two countries. With joint efforts of both sides, the past few years have witnessed rapid development in China-Ghana friendly cooperation, as well as fruitful results in bilateral pragmatic cooperation especially in the fields of politics, trade, mining and human resources training. These achievements are at the forefront in China-Africa cooperation. Ghana is China’s significant partner in Africa. China is willing to work with Ghana in furthering friendly exchanges at all levels, expanding and deepening pragmatic cooperation, so as to bring more benefits to the two countries and two peoples. Ambassador Anani said in his speech that China and of Ghana, although geographically far apart, have witnessed mutually beneficial economic, trade, investment and cultural exchanges in the last 55 years. The government and people of Ghana express their appreciations to China’s actions, and are further resolved to consolidate, strengthen and expand the existing strategic partnership and cooperation between the two countries. The Embassy of Ghana in Beijing will therefore play its rightful role in the realization of these objectives.