On June 15th, Ms. Lin Yi, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with the delegation of China-Greece Economic and Cultural Development Promotion Association headed by Mr.Petros Tatoulis, President of Peloponnese Region of the Hellenic Republic. Vice President Lin extended her welcome to Mr. Tatoulis for his visit to China, and briefed him about the functions of the CPAFFC and progress made on sister cities establishment and NGO exchanges. Ms. Lin hoped that CPAFFC  would enhance friendship and strengthen pragmatic cooperation with China-Greece Economic and Cultural Development Promotion Association as well as Peloponnese Region in fields of food safty, culture exchanges, etc. under the strategic framework of the "One Belt One Road" initiative. Mr. Tatoulis expressed his gratitude to CPAFFC for receiving the delegation. He believed there would be broad prospects for local cooperation between the two countries. He hoped both countries could make positive efforts to promote interna-tional cooperation in the area of common concerns through opportunities brought by the "One Belt and One Road" Initiative. He also hoped to work with CPAFFC to co-establish the Olympic Cities Alliance.

The celebration activity of the 70th anniversary of Swiss and Chinese Association & the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and China was held in Basle on June, 13th, 2015.  About 300 personages in various areas including Hu Sishe, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC), H.E. Mme. Xu Jinghu, Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland, Didier Burkhalter, Swiss Federal Councilor and Foreign Minister, Thomas Wagner , President of Swiss and Chinese Association, Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter, former Swiss Federal Councilor, Felix Gutzwiller, Chairman of Committee of Foreign Affairs of Federal Assembly, Jean-Jacques De Dardel, Swiss Ambassador to China, Uli Sigg, , Dominique Dreyer ,  Blaise Gode, former Swiss Ambassadors to China , attended the activity. Vice president Hu Sishe expressed his warm congratulation on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Swiss and Chinese Association and admired the important function and dedication of the association to promoting the people-to-people friendship and local pragmatic cooperation between the two countries. He said, China Switzerland relation is developing smoothly in recent years and the cooperation in various fields has entered into a fast lane. Premier Li Keqiang visited Switzerland in January this year, and reached an important consensus with the Swiss national leaders on deepening two countries’ pragmatic cooperation in various fields, which pushes forward the relation between the two countries and creates new development opportunities. CPAFFC will join hands with Swiss and Chinese Association to make unremitting efforts on promoting the cooperation between the two countries in various fields.   Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter spoke highly of the great comprehensive achievements that Switzerland and China have acquired. He admired Swiss and Chinese Association for its contribution to enhancing mutual understanding and people’s friendship. He said, Switzerland cherishes the relationship and cooperation with China and looks forward to constantly scaling new height of two countries` relationship, with the inspiration of pioneer and mutual respect.   Ambassador Xu Jinghu said in her speech, China-Switzerland relation has been keeping pace with the time for 65 years and shows innovative, pragmatic and equal features. She believed that under the joint efforts, China-Switzerland relations would reach a new height at the new starting point of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties of China and Switzerland.   President Thomas Wagner said that the traditional friendship of China and Switzerland is the solid foundation and important power for the development of the two countries’ relations. He also expressed that Swiss and Chinese Association would like to further the exchanges and cooperation with CPAFFC, so as to make new contribution to promoting the development of China-Switzerland relations in a sustainable and healthy way, as well as to expanding and deepening bilateral pragmatic cooperation.   This year is the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations of China and Switzerland. CPAFFC will hold a reception marking this event in September. By then, the delegation from Swiss and Chinese Association will visit China and President Thomas Wagner will be invited to make a review  on China-Switzerland relations.  

  On June 12th, Vice President Song Jingwu of CPAFFC met with Mr.Jacques AUXIETTE, new French President of Sino-French Forum Joint Committee and President of Regional Council of Pays de la Loire, France, and his delegation. Vice President Song congratulated Mr. AUXIETTE on his new appointment, and appreciated the guidance and promotion by Sino-French Forum Joint Committee in organizing Sino-French Forum successfully for four times, which flourishes the Sino-French local cooperation. Vice President Song said that Sino-French local cooperation is an indispensable part of China and France’s high-level culture communication system, and it should draw more attention from high officials of both countries. For the Fifth Sino-French Forum which will be held in Chengdu, Vice President Song expressed his wish that the two countries’ presidents can attend the opening ceremony of the Forum by the effort of Joint Committee from both sides. Mr. AUXIETTE fully agreed with Vice President Song’s view. He also stated that local cooperation between China and France can be enhanced in various areas. The Sino-French cooperation has gained rich achievements in economy, culture, tourism, etc. by now. As the society advances, in the future, there are great cooperation potentials in two countries’ new focus, such as health, elderly care, vocational training and language learning. Mr. AUXIETTE claimed that, as the new French President of Sino-French Forum Joint Committee, he will actively cooperate with CPAFFC to raise up the Sino-French cooperation level by effective coordination within French institutions.

On June 12th, the CPAFFC and the Myanmar Embassy to China jointly hosted the reception in celebration of the 65th anniversary of China-Myanmar diplomatic ties at the Peace Palace of CPAFFC. Mr.Wang Qinmin, Vice Chairman of CPPCC National Committee, Mme.Lin Yi, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr.Liu Jianchao, Assistant Foreign Minister, Mr.Geng Zhiyuan, President of China-Myanmar Friendship Association(CMFA), Mr.U Thit Linn Ohn, Ambassador of Myanmar to China, together with other representatives from all circles of life and diplomats from ASEAN countries’ embassies to China attended the reception with about 130 people in total. Vice President Lin Yi said in her speech that China and Myanmar are close neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, and the people-to-people friendship enjoyed a time-honored history. The Pauk-Phaw friendship has been deeply rooted in the two peoples’ hearts.Since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties in 1950, on the basis of “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence”, the China-Myanmar good-neighborly and friendly relations has developed smoothly and harvested fruitful outcomes. China is willing to join the concerted efforts of Myanmar side to put more content to the China-Myanmar Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and make joint efforts for the creation of new international relations with equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation as core contents. Mme Lin also made positive comments on the CMFA’s outstanding work under the leadership of President Geng Zhiyuan and hoped more friends from society to join in the China-Myanmar people-to-people friendship cause! Ambassador U Thit Linn Ohn said in his speech that Myanmar and China established diplomatic relations on 8th June 1950. Ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the people of our two countries had enjoyed close and friendly relations. In the recent years, Leaders from both countries had exchanged frequent visits and both leaders had the will and enthusiasms to further strengthen our ties through economic, trade and investment cooperation. Ambassador U Thit Linn Ohn emphasized that Myanmar and China were co-founders of “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence” and we needed to maintain the common border area as one of the peace, stability and prosperity area in accordance with these principles. Vice Chairman Wang Qinmin and Ambassador U Thit Linn Ohn had a short meeting.

  Premier Li Keqiang talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday with  representatives of the third summit of the Global CEO Council. [Photo by Wu Zhiyi / China Daily] Premier Li meets heads of leading global companies Premier Li Keqiang said China is confident of keeping its annual growth rate around 7 percent for a fair period of time by persisting with its reform and opening-up and tapping its huge potential. While meeting with international business leaders on Tuesday, Li said conditions still exist for China to sustain its growth at a "medium-to-high level" despite the economy‘s current slowdown. Li said he drew his confidence from the fact that large areas are yet to be developed in central and western China, reflecting the gap between the relatively industrialized coastal areas and those regions. "If the Chinese economy could expand at around 7 percent this year, it would translate into an incremental volume of about $800 billion,” he said. The premier made the remarks when meeting with members of the Global CEO Council in Beijing. The council, an organization set up in 2013 by the Chinese People‘s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, includes 14 global corporate leaders from the manufacturing, natural resources, energy, machinery, agriculture, finance, banking, pharmaceutical, aviation, engineering, logistics and information technology sectors. Li admitted there will be "twists and turns" as foreign companies try to expand business in China, but he said China‘s opening-up into a better-integrated global economy will not be held back. Foreign-invested companies in China should be one of the powers maintaining the medium-to-high growth of the Chinese economy, Li said. Additionally, in a bid to attract more foreign investors, the Chinese government will further open market access, provide better financial services and step up intellectual property rights protection, Li said. "Sectors in high-end manufacturing and the service industry in particular will be opened wider to foreigners," he said. Klaus Kleinfeld, chairman and chief executive of Alcoa, the largest US producer of aluminum, said he looked forward to China‘s push to upgrade its economy. He added that he believed there are tremendous opportunities for his company to cooperate with China in automotives and aerospace, which are seeing increasing demand for lightweight metal and materials. "Premier Li is a very distinguished economist and he has very valid views … And I think it is decently well understood that the current administration wants to change the pattern in China to have a more consumption- and innovation-driven and more value-added economy," he said. Lloyd Blankfein, chairman and chief executive of US investment bank Goldman Sachs Group, said he anticipated further liberalization of the Chinese economy. "Every day I wake up to another announcement about another liberalizing move. I think it is important for China to do so," he said. Blankfein said that the idea of economic cycles, which China is not immune to, should be taken into consideration. "China has achieved a very high growth rate at some cost … so growth has to be absorbed, mistakes have to be corrected and bad investments have to be written off in order to have another stage of rapid growth," he said.

Jointly sponsored by CPAFFC and Embassy of the Philippines in Beijing, reception in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and the Philippines was held in Beijing on June 9th, 2015. Vice President Lin Yi of CPAFFC, Ambassador Erlinda F. Basilio of the Philippines to China, together with around 300 guests from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Embassy of the Philippines, diplomatic corps and relevant institutions attended the celebration. In her speech, Madame Lin Yi said that China and the Philippines are neighbors across the sea. Thousands of years of friendship exchanges are our great treasures.  On the same day 40 years ago, the then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and Philippine President Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos signed the communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines, opening a new page for the bilateral relationship. The past 40 years explicitly reflected the fact that if the two sides uphold sincerity, manage and control disputes in an active and appropriate way, the bilateral relations will further develop and move forward in a healthy way. We believe that the China-Philippines relations will come back to normal at an early date with our joint efforts.  This is not only in accord with the common interests of our two countries and peoples, but also conducive to the peace, stability and prosperity of the region. Ambassador Erlinda F. Basilio expressed deep gratitude to CPAFFC for its unremitting efforts in furthering the bilateral relations in past decades. She also said that the Philippines and China will continue to pursue every avenue available to promote relations in the political, economic, social and cultural fields, and in various multilateral and regional undertakings, a sign of our integration in a world larger than the Philippines and China together, built on our common goals and shared aspirations for peace, development and the prosperity of our two nations, our region and the community of nations.

The growing interest in China globally has led to a boom in culture exchanges, and now a new initiative aims to take the country’s traditional music to foreign audiences.Chen Nan reports. Visitors to the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta last month were surprised to find more than a dozen Chinese, wearing traditional clothing playing bamboo flutes and Chinese stringed instruments like the erhu, guzheng and pipa. On May 8, a crowd gathered on the roof terrace of leading investment firm Goldman Sachs in New York and listened to the same group play century-old traditional Chinese songs with ancient instruments.   A group of young performers entertain audiences with a waist-drum dance show at US  Disneyland in February. Photos Provided to China Daily "Trees cannot grow into the sky, but music can," said one audience member after the show. The musicians who surprised and delighted people throughout the United States, are members of the China National Orchestra. Their performances in the US were part of a project run by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Called Qin Tai, which literally means "the table of Chinese traditional stringed instruments", the project aims to connect China to the world by introducing traditional Chinese music to foreign audiences. Li Xiaolin, president of the association, says the name of the project came from three historic sites named after Qin Tai in Sichuan, Hubei and Shandong provinces. Each place embodies the spirituality and elegance of traditional Chinese music. The phrase Qin Tai is also the name of the place in an old Chinese legend. It is where Yu Boya played his instrument, a zither, with his friend Zhong Zhiqi, a woodcutter. Zhong was the only one who understood Yu’s music. After Zhong died, Yu broke his zither and never played it again. "In that legend, Yu calls Zhong his zhi yin, or soul mate. We hope to share the beautiful ancient Chinese sounds with people, who are our zhi yin, around the world," Li says. "Chinese language is well promoted by the Confucius Institutes globally. We want to make learning about traditional Chinese music a delightful and pleasant experience as well," Li says. Li notes that when Chinese musicians playing traditional instruments travel abroad, they usually find themselves performing in concert halls or at big galas. With the Qin Tai project, shows and workshops will be held in public places, such as squares, parks and schools, which will enable the culture of Chinese instruments and music to move closer to the people. In February this year, more than 20 children from Yan''''an city, Shaanxi province, performed a yangko dance and a waist-drum dance for five days in Disneyland, Los Angeles, to celebrate Chinese New Year. "It’s quite challenging because those ancient instruments are being threatened by contemporary music. Foreign audiences rarely have the opportunity to enjoy traditional Chinese music. But we''''ve been seeking various approaches to promote traditional Chinese music not just domestically but also internationally," says Xi Qiang, president of the China National Orchestra. In 1997, the orchestra performed with the renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma at Carnegie Hall in the US. In 2014, when US pop singer Katy Perry performed in China and visited the orchestra, more than 90 musicians performed the singer’s hit, Roar, with traditional Chinese instruments. "Those crossover performances enable traditional Chinese music to connect with today’s audiences," Xi says. "With the Qin Tai project, I believe the world will get to know more about our musical heritage."   Chinese musicians tour the United States with performances of Chinese traditional music, as part of a culture exchange program.

On June 6, 2015, the Third Round-Table Summit of “Global CEO Council” initiated by the CPAFFC was held successfully at Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Premier Li Keqiang met with 14 CEOs attending the summit and had an in-depth communication with them. President Li Xiaolin and Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang attended the summit.   Premier Li Keqiang said, under the background of economic globalization and trade liberalization, China’s economy and global economy are deeply integrated. A new-round high-level opening up is taken place in China. China will be further opened to the world. We welcome foreign companies to participate in China''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s Modernization. We will continue to build a fair competition environment for Chinese and foreign enterprises by taking more mutual beneficial measures on market access, financial service and intellectual property protection etc. CEOs appreciated for Premier’s insight into China’s economy, and further reform and opening-up policy. Focus on the theme of “Enhance China’s Overall Competitiveness in the New World Pattern”, CEOs had an open dialogue with Premier on the topic of  “Made in China 2025”, “streamline administration and institute decentralization”, “Popular entrepreneurship and innovation” and “Investment environment and related policy in China”. Both sides fully exchanged views in a relaxed atmosphere.     President Li Xiaolin met with CEOs before the summit. She appreciated for multinational companies’ participation in the people-to-people exchange project initiated by CPAFFC, such as “Rainbow Bridge” project, “Golden Key” project and “Qin Tai” Program. She believed that through these project, CEOs could have better understanding of China’s development pattern and learn about the trend of China’s economy development, which could help them take opportunities and realize win-win cooperation.   In order to enrich the content, CPAFFC added “China Track” into the summit for the first time. Dr. Pan Wei, Professor of School of International Studies, Peking University, was invited to give a one-hour lecture on “Institutional Civilization in China”. By this mini class, these CEOs who have significant influence in the world economy would have better understanding of Chinese culture, thinking method, ways of act, as well as political system, social system and China’s economic development.   And CPAFFC also made an exhibition to highlight the achievements of “Rainbow Bridge” project, “Golden Key” project and “Qin Tai” Program. It helped CEOs learn about their company’s involvement in these projects and encourage them to have more practical cooperation with us in the future. Media Coverage: CCTV News: http://news.cntv.cn/2015/06/09/VIDE1433848881963932.shtml Morning News: http://news.cntv.cn/2015/06/10/VIDE1433896942379364.shtml China Daily: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-06/10/content_20954893.htm People’s Daily: http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2015-06/10/nw.D110000renmrb_20150610_1-03.htm?ADUIN=358574688&ADSESSION=1434078499&ADTAG=CLIENT.QQ.5353_.0&ADPUBNO=26381

On June 5th, Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC, met with Ms.Michelle O’Neil, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Northern Ireland,UK and her delegation. Mr. Song Jingwu welcomed the delegation and expressed CPAFFC’s willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Northern Ireland in fields including agriculture for win-win results. Ms. Michelle O''''Neil thanked CPAFFC for receiving the delegation and made an introduction of the development of agriculture in Northern Ireland and noted that Northern Ireland will further agricultural cooperation with China through CPAFFC.

Lin Yi, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, met with Mr. Maram Stern, Vice President of Jewish World Congress on June 2nd. They recalled their exchanges more than 20 years ago, and held discussion on the future cooperation, especially the activities commemorating 70 Anniversary of the Victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.