Hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and China International Friendship Cities Association (CIFCA), BCIM Local Governments Cooperation Forum was held at Conference Hall of Beijing Hotel on December 8th. Ministers, governors, mayors and diplomats envoys and representatives to China from Bangladesh, India and Myanmar and Chinese provincial and municipal leaders, representatives of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and enterprises, totaling about 160 people were present. Mr. Yang Jiechi, State Councilor and Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of CPAFFC and CIFCA addressed the Forum. Mr. Wang Xiaotao, Vice Chairman of NDRC and representatives of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar also made speeches at the Forum. Vice President Lin Yi of CPAFFC and CIFCA delivered a closing speech. In line with BCIM Economic Corridor initiative, the Forum was created to promote local and regional cooperation among these four countries and to achieve “Shared Opportunity, Shared Prosperity”, the theme of the Forum. During the Forum, Theme Forum: Connectivity and Regional Development, City Promotion, Business Matching and Promotion were held. The Forum aimed to upgrade local and regional collaboration by accelerating the development of BCIM Economic Corridor and cooperation on major projects and enhancing people’s trust and friendship. BCIM countries are willing to make joint efforts to create a bright future of shared prosperity on the basis of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit. 

  On the evening of December 7th, Li Xikui, Secretary-General of CPAFFC, attended the“2015 Voice of Peace - Tie between China and Republic of Korea” Concert at National Centre for the Performing Arts. The concert is jointly held by CPAFFC, Korea-China Association for Culture Exchange and Korean Culture Center，China. The purpose of the concert is to sing out the voices of people who love and long for peace all over the world, to promote the friendly relationship between China and Republic of Korea, and to enhance the understanding and friendship between the two countries’people. It is expected that the concert can act as a bridge between the two countries’ humanities exchanges and friendly communication.     Mr. Li Zhaoxing, the Honorary President of Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the President of China Public Diplomacy Association, Mr.Kim Jang-soo, the Ambassador of Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China, Mr.Chen Hai, the Deputy Director-General of Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese Secretary-General of the China and Republic of Korea Humanity Exchange Joint Committee, Ms. Qu Huan, Korea-China Association for Culture Exchange, Mr.Kim Jin Gon, President of Korean Culture Center, China, Mr. Zhu Yan, General Manager of Beijing Longqingxia Development C. Ltd., and envoys from United States, Russia, Namibia, Thailand, Australia etc. attended the activity. The concert will be continually held at Globe Theater in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. on December 9th.

On December 4, Deputy Director-General Hao Zhongwei of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs met with Ms. Charlotte Christensen, Founder and President of Northwest Seasonal Workers Association of the State of Oregon of the United States. Deputy Director-General Hao welcomed Christensen’s first visit to China. He introduced to the guests about CPAFFC’s major works, focusing on its important role in promoting sub-national government exchanges and developing sister city relationship. Hao pointed out that the face-to-face exchanges between local governments and peoples from China and the United States would enhance mutual understanding and trust, and thus promote the healthy development of the bilateral relations. Christensen said that she had been long engaging in helping workforce at the bottom level and low-income people. She hoped to learn China’s experience in eradicating poverty through this visit. Christensen said that improving grassroots’ lives could bring along social stability. Although China and the U.S. have different political systems, the two sides should promote cooperation and exchanges based on common ground and interests to enhance common development.

On 1st December, Vice President Hu Sishe met with Pakistan National Management College (NMC) Delegation composed by senior officials from central and local departments of Pakistan. This delegation is the 39th group from NMC received by our Association since 1974.  Vice President Hu Sishe said that China and Pakistan are good neighbors, good partners, good friends as well as good brothers. The relationship of friendship and cooperation between our two countries has set a fine example for developing relations with other countries. As a national organization, the CPAFFC has always attached great importance to the friendly exchanges with Pakistan. In recent years, our Association has conducted various friendship-with-Pakistan projects with rich contents and has become an important part of China’s overall exchanges with Pakistan. Vice President Hu expressed his appreciation to NMC for its long-term support to our Association’s friendly exchanges with Pakistan and congratulations on winning the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Friendship Award conferred by President Xi Jinping this April. Mr. Shahid Sheikh, head of the delegation said that the relationship of friendship and cooperation between China and Pakistan has withstood the vicissitude in international arena. Nowadays, China’s economic development has attracted worldwide attention. As an old and good friend of China, Pakistan is delighted to see a prosperous and rich China and wishes to learn China’s developing experiences. He spoke highly of the activities and projects which CPAFFC has conducted and held that these has made tremendous contribution to the further development of our two countries friendly relations. He further expressed that NMC was glad to have cooperation partner like CPAFFC in China and was willing to further strengthen friendly exchanges and cooperation together with our Association.

  On December 1st, 2015, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries held the banquet marking the 45th Anniversary of Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Chile in Beijing. Mr. Zhou Xiaochuan, Vice President of Chinese Political Consultative Conference, Mrs. Denise Pascal Allende, Second Vice President of the Congress of Chile and other guests were present at the banquet.   Mr. Zhou Xiaochuan pointed out in his speech that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, through the efforts paid by the both sides, our friendship and bilateral relations enjoy fruitful results, which is always one of the best examples among other Latin American Countries. This year marks the 45th Anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations, as well as the 10th Anniversary of Signing of China-Chile Free Trade Agreement. Recently, the two countries have realized achievements in the fields of people-to-people exchanges, cultural education, studies of seismology and astronomy, and the Antarctic expedition.    Mrs. Allende gave high value to the development of bilateral relations between the two countries. She has also expressed her willingness to promote the bilateral cooperation on politics, diplomacy, economy, commerce and education through the Congress.

On November 30, 2015, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and China-Arab Friendship Association hosted a reception marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and Chinese-Arab Friendship Day in the Peace Palace of the CPAFFC. Mr. Arken Imirbaki, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and President of China-Arab Friendship Association, Mrs. Lin Yi, Vice President of the CPAFFC and responsible people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee and relevant units, some council members of China-Arab Friendship Association, Mr. Sadi Jaber, Charge d'affaires and all diplomats from the Palestinian Embassy in China, diplomats from Arabic Countries, the Arab League representative in China, Palestinian emigrants in Beijing, Chinese and Arabic media representatives were present at the reception. The total number of the attendance is about 120.

Co-hosted by CPAFFC and the Organizing Committee of Sino-Swiss Women’s Forum, the first Sino-Swiss Women’s Forum was held in Geneva,Switzerland on November 26, 2015. With the theme of “Opportunities beyond Culture: Women in Leadership”, the Forum gathered 180 participants from both China and Switzerland, including Chinese representatives from Sichuan Province, Jilin Province, Changchun City and China Association of Women Entrepreneurs. Vice President of CPAFFC Ms. Lin Yi, Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland Ms.Xu Jinghu, Swiss State Secretary Ms. Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch and Chancellor of State at Republic and Canton of Geneva Ms. Anja Wyden Guelpa attended the Forum and gave official speeches respectively. Women leaders and entrepreneurs from China and Switzerland made keynote reports on Education, Beauty & Health, Business and Luxury Industry, and exchanged ideas on the opportunities and challenges faced by the women leaders in China and Switzerland.   Swiss State Secretary Ms. Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch Making Official Speech    Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Switzerland Ms. Xu Jinghu Making Official Speech    Vice President of CPAFFC Ms. Lin Yi Making Official Speech 

On November 26th ,Vice President Song Jingwu met with Mr. OSUGA YOSHIRO, Vice Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan and his delegation. Vice President Song Jingwu welcomed Vice Governor OSUGA YOSHIRO and his delegation to visit China and conveyed President Li Xiaolin’s cordial greetings to Governor Heita Kawakatsu of Shizuoka Prefecture. Vice President Song Jingwu said, the local exchanges and cooperation are an important component of China-Japan relations. Since Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture and China’s Zhejiang Province had established friendship provinces/prefectures, the both sides developed different kinds of friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation in many different fields. The achievements they acquired to promote the bilateral ties were obvious and satisfied. He hoped that Shizuoka Prefecture would further develop the channels and fields of exchanges with China and make new contributions to enhancing the two peoples’ mutual understanding and friendship, as well as promoting the improvement of the China-Japan ties. Vice Governor OSUGA YOSHIRO expressed, Shizuoka Prefecture will actively develop the friendly exchanges programs with China and will make their efforts to promote the cause of friendship between Japan and China.

On 23rd November, Mr Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met with Mr. Jonathan Bell, Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment of Northern Ireland (NI), UK, Mr Alastair Hamilton, Chief Executive of Invest NI, and the Minister’s delegation. Song expressed his welcome to the delegation. He said that the CPAFFC has kept close contacts with NI and has received a number of NI’s high level delegations. CPAFFC is willing to promote all-dimensional cooperation between local governments of China and NI as China and the UK are jointly building a global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st Century. Minister Bell thanked Song and the CPAFFC for the efforts in promoting cooperation between China and the UK, and China and NI in particular. He hoped his visit will deepen the two sides’ cooperation in economy, trade and investment. Deputy Director General of the European and Asian Department Ms Zhang Ruoning attended the meeting.

On November 20, in order to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the world's anti-fascist war and the Chine People's war of resistance against Japanese aggression, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries hosted "For Justice and Peace - Photo Exhibition on China-US Cooperation during WWII" with Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas. CPAFFC's President Li Xiaolin, Nevada's Lt. Governor Mark Hutchison, Nevada Senate's Minority Leader Aaron Ford, China's Deputy Consul General in San Francisco Ren Faqiang, and Caesars Las Vegas Regional President Gary Selesner attended the opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony.   In her speech, President Li Xiaolin said that the Chinese and American soldiers fought shoulder by shoulder against Japanese aggression and established profound friendship. The CPAFFC hosts the photo exhibition in order to celebrate our victory against fascism and inspire people with historical lessons. We hope that both Chinese and American peoples, especially the younger generation, could learn more about the history of China-US cooperation during the Second World War. We should remember and pass along the friendship between our two peoples, enhance communication and cooperation in order to promote the healthy development of China-US relations. Lt. Governor Hutchison pointed out that many Americans are not aware of the history of China-US cooperation. The State of Nevada appreciates the Friendship Association's hosting the exhibition in Las Vegas. Hutchison said that Nevada enjoyed its cooperation and communication growth with China in economy and trade, tourism as well as people-to-people exchanges. Almost 70 percent of the over 1.8-million Chinese who visited the United States last year came to Las Vegas, boosting the development of local tourism and employment. Hutchison said that the State government of Nevada will continue to promote its exchanges with China in different fields.   Deputy Consul General Ren Faqiang said that over 70 years ago, Chinese and American military and civilians including General Li Xiannian and the Flying Tiger pilot Glen Beneda had planted the seed of friendship. and under the utmost care by both sides' governments and peoples, that seed has grown into a big tree. History has proved that for our two countries, cooperation benefits both while conflicts hurt both. It's beneficial for our two countries and our people, for the Asia Pacific region and for the world that China and the United States, the world's first and second largest economy, establish a new type of major country relations. 94 photos were shown during this photo exhibition, most of which were taken by US soldiers who fought in China during World War II. The photos vividly display the valuable history of the sincere cooperation between Chinese and American soldiers and peoples during the war. The exhibition will stay open to the public for free from November 20 to 28 at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. It was held in the Chinese Embassy to the United States from June to August. Thousands of Americans from different sectors including government, congress, think tanks and media, as well as overseas Chinese visited the exhibition, making the exhibition a complete success.