On September 6, Mr. Joseph Kahama, the Secretary-General of the Tanzania China Friendship Promotion Association (TCFPA), Mr. Francis Semwaza, the well-known columnist in Tanzania, and Mr. Joseph Kazambe, the Chinese translator for H.E. Mr. Nyerere, the founding President of Tanzania, paid a visit to the CPAFFC. Mme, Tang Ruimin, Deputy Director General of the Department of Asian & African Affairs, met with and held a luncheon for the delegation. Mme. Tang Ruimin welcomed the delegation to the CPAFFC, and said that the friendship between Tanzania and China has enjoyed a long history. The CPAFFC has long maintained close and friendly exchanges with the civil organizations and local governments in Tanzania. The two sides have carried enriched activities within the platform of Forum on China Africa Local Government Cooperation and China Africa Friendship Organization Leaders Meeting, which has contributed to carrying and pushing forward China-Tanzania traditional friendship. Mr. Kahama said that in recent years, the two associations have carried out frequent and pragmatic exchanges. In the future, he will push the TCFPA to cooperate with the Chinese side in areas such as trade and culture, and facilitate the establishment of more friendship cities between the two countries. The two sides also exchanged views on the just-concluded Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum 2018, saying that under the framework of the "eight major initiatives" of China-Africa cooperation, which was proposed by the Chinese President Xi Jinping, we will jointly promote Sino-Tanzanian people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.        

Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), attended the 2nd Jinhai Lake World Anti-Aging Forum and delivered a speech on September 4th, 2018. The forum, with the theme of Extend the Beauty of Life, brought the world leading anti-aging technology and experts as well as scholars together to discuss how to improve the health and quality of human life and to continuously explore more efficient and scientific solutions in comprehensive health field. Vice President Song Jingwu said, CPAFFC could exert its advantages to further promote the exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries in the world in the field of anti-aging, and make more contributions to realizing healthy old-aged care of the Chinese people.      

On September 4th , Vice President Song Jingwu met with Chinese people’s old friend Mrs. Sarah Lande and the Iowa delegation. Vice President Song said that, the sister province-state relationship between Hebei and Iowa is exemplary in China-US subnational relationship, which has  contributed to the progress of China-US biliteral relations. CPAFFC would like to work closely with Iowa to further advance our friendly ties under the current circumstances that the bilateral relations are at the critical period. Mrs. Sarah Lande said that people-to-people friendship holds the key for the bilateral relationship, and Iowa hopes to strengthen its ties with Hebei, thus making new contributions to US-China relationship.    

The reception of 30th anniversary of the establishment of the San Marino-China Friendship Association was held on the 3rd, September in Beijing by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). Vice President of CPAFFC Song Jingwu and Gian Franco Terenzi, President of the San Marino-China Friendship Association attended the ceremony. In his speech, Mr Song pointed out that ever since its establishment, the San Marino-China Friendship Association has been dedicated to promoting bilateral political, economic and cultural cooperation and has played an irreplaceable role in strengthening friendship between China and San Marino. Mr Terenzi said the San Marino-China Friendship Association has worked in close cooperation with the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in the past 30 years. With joint efforts of both sides, such partnership with continuously bear new fruits. Mr Song and Mr Terenzi unveiled the commemorative cover that mark the anniversary during the ceremony.             Photographed by Wang Peilin 

On the evening of September 3rd, Mr. Chen Yuan, President of China and Russia Friendship Association (CRFA) and Vice Chairman of the 12th CPPCC National Committee, met in Beijing with and held a banquet for Dmitry Mezentsev, Chairman of the Russia-China Friendship Association (RCFA) and Chairman of Russia’s Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy and his wife, who were at the invitation of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. President Chen Yuan extend welcome to Chairman Dmitry Mezentsev for visiting China, made a brief introduction about the recent situation and plan of CRFA and proposed constructive suggestions. Chairman Dmitry Mezentsev expressed thanks to President Chen Yuan for taking time to meet them and appreciation to CRFA for giving a lot support in the delegation visiting in Beijing this time. Both sides had an in-depth discussion on the issues concerning economy, trade, fiance, humanities, nongovernmental organizations and local governments, and reached active consensus. Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Shen Xin，Director General of the Department of European and Asian Affairs of CPAFFC, Mr. Denisov Andrey, Russian Ambassador to China, attended the meeting.   from left to right: Chairman Dmitry Mezentsev, President Chen Yuan, Ambassador Denisov Andrey      

On September 2, the CPAFFC Vice President Lin Yi attended and addressed the China-Zambia Business Forum. In her speech, Lin Yi pointed said that Zambia, as an important and influential country on the African continent, has always been a key to the CPAFFC on its friendship-with-Africa work. With the local governments and friendship organizations as the focus, the CPAFFC has carried out a number of China-Zambia friendship projects, which are various in forms and rich in content, such as exchange visits, dialogues and award ceremony, in order to constantly enhance and consolidate the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Zambian peoples. On the occasion of the Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, we believe that under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Lungu, and with the joint efforts of people from all walks of life of our two countries as well, China-Zambia relations will usher in greater development, and the flower of people-to-people friendship will yield more fruits. The China-Zambia Business Forum was hosted by the Zambian Embassy in China and supported by the China Nonferrous Metal Mining. H.E. Mr. Edgar Lungu, the Zambian President, H.E. Mr. Christopher Yaluma, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry of Zambia, H.E. Mrs. Winnie N. Chibesakunda, the Zambian Ambassador to China, H.E. Mr. Li Baodong, the Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, H.E. Mr. Li Jie, the Chinese Ambassador to Zambia and other people from all walks of life attended the forum.        Photographed by Liu Hongmin

On August 31, Mme. Lin Yi, the CPAFFC Vice President, met with H.E. Mr. Puso Gaborone, the Chairman of the Botswana China Friendship Association (BOCFA) and the Chairman of House of Chiefs of Botswana. Lin Yi briefed Gaborone on the CPAFFC’s cooperation projects on China-Africa friendship in recent years. She said that the CPAFFC will continue to work with friendship-with-China organizations in Africa, with the BOCFA included, to promote China-Africa people-to-people friendship in culture, charity, vocational training and other areas. Gaborone spoke highly of the CPAFFC’s important role in strengthening China-Africa friendly relations and said that he will lead the BOCFA to stay in close contact with the CPAFFC, to jointly contribute to deepening China-Africa people-to-people mutual understanding and friendship, as well as promoting China-Africa friendly and pragmatic cooperation. The two sides also exchanged views on the forthcoming Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and discussed cooperation projects between the two friendship associations in the future.       Photographed by Liu Hongmin

On August 30, Vice President Song Jingwu met with Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi, former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan and member of the House of Representatives. Zhu Dan, Deputy Director General of Department of Japanese Affairs of the CPAFFC, was present at the meeting. Song Jingwu welcomed the guests and conveyed the cordial greetings from President Li Xiaolin to Yamaguchi. He said that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty. It is gratifying that the relations between the two countries have continued to improve. Since establishment, the CPAFFC and the China-Japan Friendship Association have always been committed to China-Japan friendship. A series of events will be held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the signing of the treaty this year. He hoped that Yamaguchi and the members of the House of Representatives present at the meeting will continue to play an important role in promoting the sustained, sound and stable development of the bilateral relations. Yamaguchi thanked Song Jingwu for taking the time to meet him and his delegation and asked Song to convey his sincere greetings to President Li Xiaolin. He said that the long-term efforts and contributions made by the CPAFFC to the improvement and development of Japan-China relations have long been respected. He visited China with the delegation led by Nikai Toshihiro, Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party, with the purpose of further improving the development of Japan-China relations. He also expressed willingness to promote the people-to-people friendship and exchanges between the two countries in the future.        

From 25th-26th August, the 2018 China International Taiji·Yoga Conference hosted by China India Friendship Association was held in Beijing. Madame Lin Yi, Vice President of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Mr. Sharique Badr, Second Secretary of the Indian Embassy to China attended its opening ceremony. Vice President Lin Yi said on the opening ceremony that the essence of Taiji and Yoga is similar and interconnected, so that they could act as the bridge for Chinese and Indian cultural exchanges. She hoped that though Taiji and Yoga, the two sports that full of Eastern ancient wisdom, we could promote the mutual learning and people-to-people bond between China and India, as well as between China and the world. On the opening ceremony, the champion of 2018 Yoga Asanas Competition, renowned Taiji masters and traditional Indian culture artists selected by the Indian Embassy offered wonderful performances.       Photographed by Jiao Tianjiao

Mme.Lin Yi, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met with and held a banquet for the Poches on the evening of August 26th, on Sunday. Mr. Miroslav Poche, Member of the European Parliament and Vice Chairman of the EU-China Friendship Group in the European Parliament. During the meeting, Vice President Lin Yi discussed with Miroslav Poche about the important significance of strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation between China and European countries under the new situation. Both sides also exchanged their views on important international issues including the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to be held in early next month in Beijing, Sino-African relationship and the recent trade friction between China and the United States. Mr. Gai Lin, Assistant of Chairman Nirj Deva, Mr. Peter Huang, Deputy Director General of EU-China Joint Innovation Center, Mme.Zhang Ruoning, Deputy Director General of Department of European and Asian Affairs of CPAFFC, accompanied with and attended the meeting and banquet.