Mr. Chen Yuan, Vice Chairman of National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and President of China-Russia Friendship Association (CRFA), met with Mr. Mezentsev, Member of Russian Federation Council (RFC) and Chairman of Russia-China Friendship Association (RCFA), who was invited by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) on April, 12th. Both sides exchanged their views on further deepening the local exchanges between China and Russia, promoting the cooperation in the fields of the economy, trade, humanity and culture of the two countries, and the details about how to organize a series of activities during the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Russia-China Friendship Association (RCFA) this year. Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mme. Hu Chunmei, Associated Counsel of Department of European and Asian Affairs of CPAFFC, Mr. Zinoviev, Minister-Counsellor of the Russian Embassy in China, Mr. Kulikova, the first Vice-Chairman of RCFA, attended the meeting. 

Mr. Song Jingwu, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mr. Tamotsu OKAMOTO, President of Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) on April, 12th. Both sides exchanged their views on further deepening the exchanges and cooperation in the fields of local governments, humanities and the others between China and Japan. Vice President Song also made a brief introduction about the Xiongan New Area established in Hebei. Mme. Zhu Dan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Japanese Affairs of CPAFFC, Mr. KITA MURA TOMOKI, Director of Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), Beijing, attended the meeting.

Vice President Xie Yuan met with Romanian Municipalities Association (AMR) delegation led by its President, Mayor Robert Sorin Negoita of District 3 of Bucharest on April 11th. Vice President Xie extended his warm welcome to the delegation. He introduced freindship-city activities of CIFCA and its work in promoting exchanges at local and regional level between China and Romania. The two sides have great potential for cooperation, expecially at present when China is implementing “Belt and Road” strategy. Xie encouraged AMR to take active participation and establish extensive contacts with local governments of China, twin friendship cities and carry out mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation within the strategy. President Negoita appreciated the warm hospitality. He said that Romania values our traditional friendship and has a strong wish for cooperation with China. He hoped that AMR would strengthen its ties with CIFCA and CIFCA would help them to twin friendship cities with their counterparts in China so as to promote result-oriented cooperation in fields of economy, education and infrastructure. Negoita invited Xie to lead a delegation to visit Romania. Xie said he would work to make the trip. The delegation of 12 members is visiting China at the invitation of CIFCA.

Mr.Tang Jiaxuan, President of China-Japan Friendship Association (CJFA), met in Beijing with Mr. kono yohei, President of Association for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan (JAPIT) and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and his delegation on April 11. Mr. Yuan Mindao, Director-General of the Department of Japanese Affairs of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Mr. KASAI YAKUO, Chairman of JAPIT, attended the meeting. Tang Jiaxuan said that the bilateral relations had achieved development, but also have confronted with complicated and sensitive factors after 45 years of the normalization of the diplomatic relations between China and Japan. As close neighbors and major global economies, the two countries should firmly keep to the general direction of friendship and win-win cooperation of bilateral relations. Both countries should, on the basis of the four political documents between China and Japan, take the 45th anniversary of the normalization of the diplomatic relations between China and Japan as an opportunity to hold various people-to-people activities, so as to enhance the mutual understanding and friendly feeling between the youth of the two countries, especially the two peoples, and to lay a foundation of public support for sustainable development of the bilateral relations. Mr.kono yohei said that last year, over 6.3 million Chinese tourists visited Japan, which broke the highest record in history, but the number of the Japanese tourists visited China was decreasing. Therefore, continuous strengthening the exchanges of the two peoples is the need to enhance the emotions. JAPIT would like to work together with Chinese side to further deepen the exchanges of economy, trade and humanity of the two countries, so as to improve the bilateral relations.

Vice president Song Jingwu met with Ms. Deborah Wilson, president of Irish-Chinese Cultural Society on April 10th and held the welcome lunch for the delegation. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the cooperation between the two organizations. Both agreed that traditional people-to-people diplomacy in the new period shall seek new opportunity for projects on practical cooperation, which would attach new meaning to the people-to-people exchange between China and Ireland. Director General of European Department Mr. Shen Xin attended the luncheon.

 Vice President Xie Yuan met with New York State Legislature Delegation headed by Assistant Speaker Felix Ortiz of New York State Assembly on April 10, 2017.  Vice President Xie Yuan extended a warm welcome to Assistant Speaker Ortiz and his delegation. He said, China-U.S. sub-national cooperation is the cornerstone of China-U.S. relations. The CPAFFC has established sub-national cooperation mechanisms such as China-U.S. Governors Forum, China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference and China-U.S. Sub-national Legislatures Cooperation Forum. He hoped New York State continue playing active role in these mechanisms, adding new momentum to China-U.S. sub-national cooperation. Ortiz said, as the two biggest countries of the world, the U.S. and China share global responsibilities. He was very glad to see leaders of the two countries sit down with pleasant conversations at Mar-a-Lago last Thursday. He hoped to build stronger ties through sister cities and sister states between New York State and China, in public policy making and other areas, tapping into the potential of cooperation at city and state level.

Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mr. Franco Terenzi, former Captain Regent, President of San Marino-China Friendship Association and President of World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME) on April 7. Both sides exchanged their views on further strengthening the friendly cooperative relations between China and San Marino. President Franco Terenzi invited Vice President Song Jingwu to attend the global summit of WASME to be held in India in October this year. Mr. Shen Xin，Deputy Director-General of the Department of European and Asian Affairs of CPAFFC, attended the meeting. 

The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) held a reception in Beijing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Azerbaijan on April 7,2017. Mr. Ma Biao, Vice Chairman of National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Mr. Kong Xuanyou, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC and Mr. Matin Mirzayev, Charge d’affaires of Azerbaijan Embassy in China, attended the reception. Vice President Song Jingwu and Charge d’affaires Matin Mirzayev delivered speeches respectively. Vice Chairman Ma Biao and Charge d’affaires Matin Mirzayev jointly unveiled the commemorative envelope marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Vice Chairman Ma Biao presented Charge d’affaires Matin Mirzayev with commemorative envelope as a gift. Around 50 people including leaders from International Department of Central Committee of CPC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Ministry of Commerce of China, and former Chinese ambassadors to Azerbaijan, diplomats from Azerbaijan Embassy in China, representatives from all walks of life and media, attended the reception.  

On April 6th, Mr Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met with Mr Sunil Dubey, Senior Advisor of World Association of Major Metropolises (Metropolis), and Ms Agnes Bickart, Manager for International Relations. Mr Dubey briefly introduced updates on the 12th Metropolis World Congress in Montreal, Canada to be held from June 19th to 22nd, 2017. He expressed willingness to elevate cooperative relations with CPAFFC and assist CPAFFC and Chinese cities in developing urban diplomacy. He expects CPAFFC to encourage Chinese cities to actively participate in Metropolis’s activities. Vice President Song expounded on CPAFFC’s work in local government cooperation, and voiced his expectations of carrying out in-depth exchanges and cooperation with Metropolis so as to better serve  cities’ development. Deputy Director General of the European and Asian Department Mr Lv Hongwei attended the meeting.

The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) held a reception in Beijing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Armenia on April 6, 2017. Mr. Luo Fuhe, Vice Chairman of National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Mr. Kong Xuanyou, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC and Mr. Sergey Manassarian, Armenian Ambassador to China, attended the reception. Vice President Song Jingwu and Ambassador Sergey Manassarian delivered speeches respectively. they jointly unveiled the commemorative envelope marking the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic relations of the two countries. Vice Chairman Luo Fuhe presented Ambassador Sergey Manassarian with the commemorative envelope as a gift. Around 50 personages including leaders from International Department of Central Committee of CPC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Ministry of Commerce of China, and former Chinese Ambassador to Armenia, diplomats from Armenian Embassy in China, representatives from all walks of life and media, attended the reception.