At the invitation of Canada China Friendship and Goodwill Association, Vice President Xie Yuan led a delegation to visit Canada between Oct. 12 to 16. During the visit, the delegation met with representatives of Canada’s Premiers (also known as “the Council of the Federation”) and Canada China Friendship and Goodwill Association to exchange views on the establishment of the China Canada provincial leaders exchange mechanism. The delegation also had meetings with Bethune Canadian Alliance and the Canadian Fund for International Understanding through Culture. Moreover, Vice President Xie Yuan presented the admission notice of Harbin Institute of Technology and the fund certification of HIT Group to Mark Bethune, the grandnephew of Norman Bethune, in the witness of Mr. Wang Wentian, Charge d’Affair of Chinese Embassy to Canada. Vice President Xie Yuan and Mr. Wang Wentian, Charge d’Affair of the Chinese Embassy to Canada, presented the admission notice to Mark Bethune

Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum reopened after renovation on Oct. 14 in Yorba Linda, California. Nearly 1,000 people, including Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai to the U.S., Chinese Consul General Liu Jian to Los Angeles, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Chairman Ed Royce of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Pete Wilson, former Governor of California, Winston Lord, former U.S. Ambassador to China, David Ferriero, U.S. Archivist, Ronald Walker, Chairman of Richard Nixon Foundation, William Baribault, President and CEO of Richard Nixon Foundation, family members of President Richard Nixon, representatives from various sectors of society, Yorba Linda citizens and the media, were present at the opening ceremony. Director General Zhang Heqiang of CPAFFC attended the event and read a congratulatory message by President Li Xiaolin to the Library. In her message, President Li extended her warm congratulations to the reopening of the Library. She said, President Richard Nixon’s visit to China in 1972 thawed the diplomatic ice between China and the United States and opened a new chapter in our relations. For 40 plus years, our relationship has kept moving forward and become one of the most important dynamic bilateral relations in the world. President Nixon, therefore, is remembered and honored by the peoples of our two countries for his contributions to U.S.-China relationship. The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum was officially established in 1990. After this upgrade, it has become the presidential museum with the most advanced facilities in the U.S. It features more than 30 unique, multi-media experiences, 11 original films, 10 curated archival film sequences, more than 600 photographs, nearly 7.5 million-square meter wall murals and more than 300 artifacts.

On 13th Oct., Mr. Ji Yongjun, Deputy Director General of Department of American and Oceanian Affairs met with Mr. Ralph LATORTUE, the newly-arrived Permanent Representative of Haiti to China. Mr. Ji welcomed Mr. Ralph LATORTUE and briefly introduced CPAFFC’s work with Haitian side. The both sides exchanged opinions on cultural, arts and youth exchanges between the two countries. 

Hosted by China Service Center for Friendship and Cooperation with Foreign Countries (CSC) of CPAFFC, the FIGS Graduate Schools Between China and France Meeting was held in Beijing from October 12 to 13. CPAFFC Vice President Hu Sishe met with Mr. Marc CASTAGNET, Director of FIGS and Mme. Benedicte FAVRE, Executive General Manager of FIGS. They had an in-depth discussion on the topic of the innovative cooperation between Graduate Schools of the two countries. Vice President Hu Sishe first made a brief introduction about the  people-to-people diplomacy work developed by CPAFFC in recent years. He stressed that the difficult problems the China educational sector confronted with and the development direction in the future. Vice President Hu expressed appreciation for the strategy of FIGS entering into the China educational market. He encouraged FIGS to work together with CSC to develop pragmatic cooperation so as to provide new inspiration and opportunities for the reform and innovation of China educational sector. Mme. Benedicte FAVRE also spoke highly of the work developed by CPAFFC and expressed appreciation for CSC’s bond role played in the cooperation of the educational exchanges between the two countries. At last, CSC signed a cooperation agreement with FIGS under the witness of Vice President Hu Sishe.

Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao met with Charles Powell, a member of the British House of Lords who visits China at the invitation of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC)in Beijing. Vice President Li Yuanchao said, in September this year when President Xi Jinping met with British Prime Minister May, the two sides reaffirmed their commitments to the direction of China-UK Golden Era. Li hoped that the two countries could implement the two state leaders’ consensus, align their development strategies, and press ahead with their practical cooperation in economic and trade, infrastructure, finance, high technology, clean energy, and local government cooperation, so as to promote the building of a China-UK Global Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century. Charles Powell said, a strong UK-China relations is in the interest of the two peoples. The British new government will continue to be committed to promoting the practical cooperation with China in various fields.                                                                                                                                            Resourse: Xin Hua News Agency

Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC met in Beijing with Mr. KAWAMURA TAKEO, Former Minister of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) on September 30th.  Vice President Song conveyed CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin’s greetings to Mr. KAWAMURA TAKEO and welcomed him to visit China during the Chinese National Day. Vice President Song expressed that China and Japan are close neighbors. Although the bilateral relations has been facing many challenges, it has been improved by nongovernmental exchanges and cultural exchanges between the two countries, which enhanced the mutual understanding among the two peoples. Mr. KAWAMURA TAKEO is a senior politician in Japan and has been making positive efforts to promote the nongovernmental culture exchanges for many years. President Song hoped that Mr. KAWAMURA TAKEO would continue playing a constructive role in this side. CPAFFC is willing to work together with all walks of life from Japan to greatly develop nongovernmental exchanges and make efforts on the sustainable and stable improvement of the current bilateral relations.   Mr. KAWAMURA TAKEO thanked President Li Xiaolin’s greeting. He said it was a great honor for him to visit China and attend the commemorating activities during the Chinese National Day and he wished China would increasingly develop. Mr. KAWAMURA TAKEO said that next year would mark the 45th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations and he would like to make contributions to developing various commemorating activities and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

At the invitation of Japan-China Friendship Association (JCFA), a delegation led by China-Japan Friendship Association ( CJFA) President Tang Jiaxuan visited Japan from September 25 to 29. During in Tokyo, CJFA President Tang Jiaxuan met with Japanese Ruling and Opposition Parties and personages from political and economic circles, including Japanese Foreign Minister KISHIDA FUMIO, Komeito Leader YAMAGUCHI NATSUO, Liberal Democratic Party Vice Chairman KOMURA MASAHIKO and Legislator NIKAI TOSHIHIRO, Democratic  Party Leader REN HOU, Japanese Former Prime Minister FUKUDA YASUO, HATOYAMA YUKIO, Japan Business Federation Chairman SAKAKIBARA SADAYUKI and Honorary Chairman YONEKURA MASAHIRO and the leaders of the seven Japan-China friendship organizations. They  exchanged views on improving and developing bilateral ties and further implementing the important consensus reached by the two state leaders. President Tang Jiaxuan also attended the opening ceremony of the 12th Beijing-Tokyo Forum and delivered a keynote speech. CJFA President Tang Jiaxuan met in Nagano Prefecture with  Governor ABE SHUICHI and had a meeting with Japanese members of JCFA. President Tang also attended the welcome reception jointly held by personages from all walks of life in Nagano Prefecture. Mr. Cheng Yonghua, Chinese Ambassador to Japan, attended the above activities.

From Sept. 26-28, 2016, “Rainbow Bridge-Nokia Shanghai Bell Internet Computer Classroom Program” was launched in Gansu Province. This program constructed three internet computer classrooms in three primary schools, with a donation of around 96 laptops, 3 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), books and video materials benefiting over 1,000 underprivileged students in Gaotai County, Zhang Ye City, Gansu Province.

On the morning of September 27th, Vice President Lin Yi met with Lord Bates, Deputy Speaker of the British House of Lords and Mrs Bates and exchanged broad views on facilitating people-to-people friendship between China and the UK. Ms Lin Yi welcomed Lord Bates and Mrs Bates’ visit, briefly reviewed the history and main function of the CPAFFC, especially introduced the China-UK Local Leaders Summit in the frame of the China-UK High Level People-to-People Dialogue, cooperation with British political dignitaries and friendship organizations, as well as the China-UK Youth Exchange Program by the CPAFFC. She appreciated Lord Bates and Mrs Bates’ personally pacification and contribution to promoting world peace and friendship between China and the UK, and expressed the CPAFFC’s willingness to assistant Lord Bates and Mrs Bates’ efforts in promoting friendship between China and the UK. Lord Bates appreciated Vice President Lin’s time and introduced his efforts to promote the idea of Olympic Truce through walk since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. So far, he has walked for more than 12,000 kilometers in 23 countries, raising charity fund for over 430,000 pounds. Last year, at the 70th Anniversary on the Victory of Anti-Fascist War, Lord Bates walked from Beijing to Hangzhou, covering over 1,700 kilometers and raised about 900,000 yuan for the disabled children in China. Besides, Lord Bates and Mrs Bates have launched the Walk for Peace Foundation, planning to promote sports exchanges with China in cooperation with the UN. Deputy Director General Zhang Ruoning also attended the meeting.

Secretary General Li Xikui led a delegation of diplomatic envoys and cultural officials 19 people to Jiangxi to attend the activity of “Jointly commemorating the 400th anniversary of the death of Tang Xianzu, Shakespeare and Cervantes” co-hosted by CPAFFC and government of Jiangxi Province. CPPCC Vice Chairman Ma Biao, deputy secretary of Jiangxi provincial Party committee, acting governor Liu Qi, Ambassador of Ecuador Mr Jose Borja, Chile ambassador Mr Heine, Spanish Minister-counselor Mr Jose Luis Garcia and British regional cooperation counsellor Mr Nick Low attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech, nearly 6000 Chinese and foreign friends attended the opening ceremony. Chairman Ma Biao pointed out that held in Jiangxi to commemorate the activities is the implementation of specific initiatives important speech of general secretary Xi Jinping in the work of the forum and visit to Britain during the important proposal, for us to further promote the fine traditional culture, promote cultural exchanges, enhance road confidence, theoretical confidence, confidence in the system, cultural self-confidence and it will have a positive role. Secretary General Li Xikui said in his speech, regarding the culture as media to promote international cultural exchange of people, frequently able to quickly narrow the distance between the people of the countries. He hoped that in the future China, the United Kingdom and Spain, three countries can take turns to hold commemorative activities, so as to establish a long-term mechanism to commemorate the three masters of the cultural. Our association will continue to do a good job of international cultural exchanges messenger for the people of all countries to share their literary and artistic essence and exchanges and mutual authentication results to create more opportunities, but also for the cultural and creative industries to build a broader platform for cooperation. During the activity, the CPAFFC organized the diplomats and the overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Jiangxi Province, Fuzhou City, Linchuan district culture and tourism representative to attend the face-to-face exchanges, all parties engaged in the culture, tourism, education and foreign cooperation projects actively speak, from Chinese and Western drama culture, intangible cultural heritage cultural heritage perspective, understand the rich connotation and the development status of Jiangxi, and to explore the possibility in Jiangxi province and the country to carry out cultural exchanges and cooperation. In addition, the delegation also attended the the opening ceremony of Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall, Zixi County Culture Study and other activities, and watched the arrangement by the University of Leeds in the UK "Nanke dream" and the Spanish Embassy recommended a flamenco dance drama "Quixote". Rich and colorful activities helped diplomats have a deeper understanding of the culture of Jiangxi, the Cultural Tour is highly appreciated. Diplomatic envoys and cultural officials "Cultural Tour" Jiangxi station activities lasted from September 23 to 26, through the investigation of Jiangxi Province’s ecological culture, to showcase Chinese culture image, let all the diplomats through close feeling and experience China local culture, increase the acknowledge of Chinese excellent traditional culture and contemporary cultural and it has a profound meaning.