Mr. Song Jingwu, vice president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met in Beijing with Mr. Tetsuro Homma, senior managing executive officer of Panasonic, CEO of China & Northeast Asia Company of Panasonic, regional head for China & Northeast Asia on May 27th. Mme. Zhu Dan, deputy director-general of Department of Japanese Affairs of CPAFFC, Mme. Deng Lan, deputy secretary-general of China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development (CFFPD), attended the meeting. Vice President Song congratulated Panasonic on the founding of China & Northeast Asia Company in China and spoke highly of important contributions Panasonic had made for a long time to China’s reform and opening-up and the friendly cause between China and Japan. Song said, Panasonic is not only a well-known multinational corporation in the world, but also is one of the first Japanese enterprises that participated in China’s reform and opening-up. Last year marked the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up. Mr. Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic, was awarded China reform friendship medal, which fully demonstrated the highly commendation for the outstanding contributions Konosuke Matsushita and Panasonic had made to the cause of China’s reform and opening up. With the joint efforts by the governments and various circles of the two countries, the Sino-Japanese relations had returned to normal track and achieved more results, and the economic cooperation between the two countries showed positive signs. Vice President Song sincerely expected Panasonic to adhere to keeping friendship with China and take the opportunities of supply-side structural reform, consumption upgrading, co-building the Belt and Road cooperation，the founding of China & Northeast Asia Company of Panasonic to deepen cooperation in the fields of energy saving and environmental conservation, technological innovation and high-end manufacturing, and to work together to maintain multilateralism and free trading, so as to continue exerting a leading role in the new term economic cooperation between China and Japan. Mr. Tetsuro Homma made an introduction about the cause Panasonic had developed in China and the relevant institution of China & Northeast Asia Company. He said, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up and the 100th anniversary of the founding of Panasonic last year, Mr. Konosuke Matsushita was awarded China reform friendship medal. He was deeply honored and encouraged. Panasonic pays high attention to the business and the humanity and culture exchanges with China. The founding of China & Northeast Asia Company this time is just to deepen the economic cooperation with China and further develop the humanity and culture exchanges with China. He would like to carry forward tradition and make more contributions to the stable relations and the friendship for generations of the two countries.       Photographed by Wang Lin

On May 27, the reception marking the 25th Anniversary of the amendment on China-Mongolia Friendship and Cooperation Treaty, jointly hosted by CPAFFC and Embassy of Mongolia to China, was held in the Peace Palace of CPAFFC. Mme.Su Hui, Vice Chairwoman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) attended the reception. Mr. Han Zhiqiang, director general of the General Office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and Mr. BATTSETSEG Batmunkh, deputy minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia read the congratulation letters by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsogtbaatar respectively. CPAFFC Vice President Hu Sishe and Mongolian Ambassador Gankhuyag delivered the speeches. Around 130 guests from two countries in the fields of politics, economy, military, culture, science and technology, sports attended the reception. In his congratulation letter, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent congratulations to the 25 anniversary of the amendment of China-Mongolia Friendship and Cooperation Treaty and appreciation to all personages from all walks of life who had cared and supported the China-Mongolia relations for a long time on behalf of the Chinese government. Wang Yi indicated that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Mongolia diplomatic relations and 25th anniversary of the amendment of China-Mongolia Friendship and Cooperation Treaty, which make the bilateral relations stand on a new historic starting point and face some new opportunities for further development. The Chinese side would join the efforts with Mongolian side to make the China-Mongolia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership relations for continuous and further development under new situations. In his congratulation letter, Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsogtbaatar said that China is a good neighbor and trust-worthy partner of Mongolia and its people. The China-Mongolia Friendship and Cooperation Treaty amended and signed by the  Mongolian Prime Minister and Chinese Premier 25 years ago set the basic principle for the bilateral relations development. The Mongolian side would join with the Chinese side to take the opportunity of the 70th anniversary of Mongolia-China diplomatic relations to push forward the bilateral relations to a new stage in the principle of mutual-benefit, win-win, common development and in the interest of the two peoples. Vice President Hu Sishe said in his speech that the congratulation letters by State Councilor Wang Yi and Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsogtbaatar showed the two governments’ resolution to honor the spirit of the China-Mongolia Friendship and Cooperation Treaty, carry forward the traditional friendship and deepen the bilateral relations. The Chinese side would join the hands with the Mongolian side to let the bilateral relations bring more blessings to the two peoples with the guidance of the spirit of the Treaty. Ambassador Gankhuyag said in his speech that the Mongolia-China Friendship and Cooperation Treaty is of great significance to provide the legal basis and fundamental principal for the friendly and cooperative relations between two countries. At present, Mongolian-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership relations stood on a new starting point and the two sides should make continuous efforts to harvest more fruits in bilateral relations and multilateral cooperation in accordance with the spirit of the Treaty. Vice Chairwoman Su Hui met with the main guests of Mongolia before the reception. The artists from two countries made cultural performances with Chinese or Mongolian characteristics during the reception.         Photographed by Hong Lei

Vice president Song Jingwu of CPAFFC visited Ireland from May 22nd to 26th at the invitation of Asia Matters, an Ireland think tank. During his visit, he attended the China-Ireland Business Summit and the commemorative banquet to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and China and delivered speech respectively. He expressed in his speech that China and Ireland are both visionary and independent, upholding multilateralism and rule-based international relationship and opposing unilateralism and protectionism. He also gave an introduction to the Belt and Road Initiative and its deliverables over the 6 years since President Xi Jinping proposed it in 2013. In Dublin Vice president Song Jingwu met Ken Duggen, Chairman of Ireland China Institute, exchanging the vies on China’s opening-up, trade and local cooperation and trade dispute.  CPAFFC and Asia Matters signed the MOU for People to People Exchanges and Local Cooperation in Cork City for celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties, witnessed by deputy PM Coveney and His Excellency He Xiangdong, Chinese Ambassador to Ireland. Mr.Coveney said that MOU is about deepening the relationship between Ireland and China which is already strong and getting stronger. As China reaches out to EU and outside world-through Belt and Road Initiative in particular-and becomes more globalized, there are significant opportunities for every side. The CPAFFC delegation also met the vice mayors of Cork city and Cork County respectively. Mr Song said that China will facilitate local cooperation and create favorable terms for the twinning of Chinese and foreign cities.

Zhang Heqiang, director general of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs, met with the delegation of young leaders from the Harvard Kennedy School on May 16th.   Director General Zhang briefed the delegation on the work that the CPAFFC has done to promote the people-to-people exchanges  especially that of youth between China and the U.S.. He said that young people are like the early spring and rising sun, and the youth exchanges, as the most important channel for the friendship between the two countries, serve as the solid foundation for our future cooperation. We hope that the young leaders from Harvard will broaden their horizons, deepen their understanding of China through this visit, so as to be the future ambassadors of friendly exchanges between China and the U.S.. The head of the delegation and graduate student of Harvard Kennedy School, Sanjay Seth, said that the delegation hope to deepen their understanding of China's development through this visit and are willing to try their best to make positive efforts to deepen the friendship between the peoples of the U.S. and China and to enhance bilateral youth exchanges.         Photographed by Liu Yi

Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva, vice chairperson of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev Foundation Center, and her delegation visited China at  the invitation of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Counties (CPAFFC) from May 13 to 16, 2019. During the visit, Leyla Aliyeva had a meeting with Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng and CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin respectively, visited An Exhibition of Asian Civilizations under the framework of the Conference on Dialogue of Asia Civilizations and attended Asian Cultural Carnival. Moreover, Leyla Aliyeva also visited the International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 Beijing China and attended the opening ceremony of Azerbaijan pavilion. Heydar Aliyev Foundation Center is an important partnership of CPAFFC in the republic of Azerbaijan. The visiting aims at further promote the cooperation between the two organizations in various fields and enhance the people-to-people friendship of the two countries.  Meeting with President Li Xiaolin   Visiting an Exhibition of Asian Civilizations Opening Ceremony of Azerbaijan pavilion        

On May 16, H.E.President Korn Dabbaransi of Thai-Chinese Friendship Association(TCFA), who was invited to attend the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations,paid a visit to CPAFFC. President Li Xiaolin and Vice President Lin Yi of CAPFFC met with President Korn. The two sides exchanged ideas on China-Thailand relations, China-ASEAN people-to-people friendship cooperation and other subjects of common interest.       Photographed by Wu Jiong

On May 15, Vice President Song Jingwu met with Hodumi Motomu, Mayor of Akita, Japan and his delegation in Beijing. Deputy Director-General Zhu Dan from the Japanese Affairs Department joined the meeting. Vice President Song Jingwu welcomed Hodumi Motomu and his delegation’s visit to China and spoke highly of Akita City’s long term efforts in facilitating exchanges and cooperation with relevant Chinese cities including Lanzhou and Nanning in various fields. Vice President Song briefed the Japanese side on the CPAFFC’s work in promoting China-Japan local exchanges in recent years and said that it is one of the CPAFFC’s major jobs to enhance local exchanges and cooperation. The CPAFFC is willing to support people to people interactions including sports and youth exchanges between Akita and Chinese counterparts and hope Akita can focus on its advantages and further promote its exchanges with China. Mayor Hodumi Motomu said that both the government and public in Akita highly value its exchanges and cooperation with China. He will also attend ceremony in Lanzhou about the 37th anniversary of friendship ties between the two cities during this visit. He looks forwards to strengthening partnership with the CPAFFC and counterpart cities in China and deepening bilateral people to people interactions and exchanges and cooperation in other fields.           Photographed by Li Kun 

Mme. Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and Mr. Hu Sishe, vice president of CPAFFC, met with Mr. Anton Rill, ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina Embassy in China and Mr. Sabit Subasic, counsellor of Bosnia and Herzegovina Embassy in China on May, 15th. President Li exchanged views with Ambassador Anton Rill on the friendly relationship and the local governments between the two countries. Ambassador Anton Rill said, Bosnia and Herzegovina and China enjoyed friendship for many years. Both countries developed cooperation in various fields, which became more and more, especially under the framework of the Belt and Road. He hoped that China would pay more attention to Bosnia and Herzegovina in future and develop more exchanges and cooperation with it. During the meeting, Vice President Hu Sishe said, the relations between China and Bosnia and Herzegovina developed increasingly. He hoped that the two countries could keep policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity. Mr. Hu Yang, deputy director-general of the China Service Center for Friendship and Cooperation with Foreign Countries (CSC) of CPAFFC, attended the meeting.         Photographed by Yu Xiaodong

Mr. Song Jingwu, vice president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met in Beijing with Mr. Kawamura Takeo, member of the House of Representatives in the Diet and former minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, who attended International Forum for China-Japan-Korean Cooperation on May 10th. Vice President Song extended welcome to the delegation and spoke highly of the contributions Kawamura Takeo had made for a long time to the friendly exchanges, particularly the youth exchanges, between China and Japan, and even East Asia. He said, last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for several times, which played an important political leading role in improving the bilateral ties. The leaders of the two governments determined this year as China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year. He said, CPAFFC would like to continue strengthening cooperation with Japanese side to jointly develop friendly exchange activities in the fields of sport, culture and others that are popular with the youth of the two countries and to make more contributions to further improve the bilateral relations. Kawamura Takeo said, it is pleased to see that the bilateral ties have returned to normal track. He would make active efforts to promote the exchanges of the youth between the two countries in future and play his duties in consolidating the basis of friendship and improving the national feelings. Mr. Cheng Haibo, Deputy Director-General of Department of Japanese Affairs of CPAFFC, attended the meeting.         Photographed by Pan Lin

On May 10th, Mr Lyu Hongwei, Deputy Director-General of the Department of European and Asian Affairs, met with Mr Kristjan Kristjansson, Council Member of Icelandic Chinese Cultural Society. Mr Lyu briefly introduced history and main functions of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). The two sides exchanged ideas on how to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.       Photographed by Wang Fan