On the evening of January 28, 2026, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) held its 2026 New Year Gathering for International Friends in China. The CPAFFC compound was decorated with lanterns and filled with festive cheer. Nearly 120 international guests from 45 countries joined Chinese representatives to celebrate the Year of the Horse and reaffirm enduring people-to-people ties.

President Yang Wanming delivered a welcoming speech, greeting old and new friends gathered at the CPAFFC to celebrate friendship and reaffirm enduring people-to-people ties. He noted that international friends, as a special group that bridges cultures and connects China with the rest of the world, have over the years made valuable contributions to China's revolution, development, and reform, while serving as an important bridge in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people of other countries and promoting exchanges and cooperation in various fields. In recent years, President Xi Jinping has on many occasions replied to letters from, and sent messages to international friends, expressing his profound commitment to and earnest expectations for the cause of people-to-people friendship. President Yang said that the gathering at the CPAFFC was intended not only to pay tribute to history, but also to look to the future. He expressed the hope that everyone would work together to become inheritors of historical memory, practitioners of people-to-people friendship, and sowers of hope for the future, and make unremitting efforts to strengthen mutual understanding and affinity between the Chinese people and peoples of other countries and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

During the event, foreign guests watched with great interest performances of traditional Chinese arts, including northern Shaanxi storytelling, traditional Chinese folk magic, and diabolo. They also sampled traditional Beijing crispy candy, pastries, candied hawthorn skewers, and other specialty snacks prepared on site, experiencing firsthand the unique charm of Chinese culture. Canadian performing artist Mark Rowswell, American professor Mark Levine, and relatives of several international friends also gave impromptu performances, including poetry recitations, guitar-accompanied songs, and Chinese song choruses, winning warm applause from both Chinese and foreign guests.

Michael Crook, son of international friends David and Isabel Crook and Chair of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives, said the event was warm, friendly, and deeply moving. He thanked the CPAFFC for providing opportunities for communication and exchange among international friends, noting that he had met several new friends within just a few minutes at the event. He said that the reception, together with the honor he received last September when he accepted, on behalf of his parents, the commemorative medal marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, fully demonstrated that China always remembers the positive contributions made by international friends and reflects its deep affection for old friends who stood together with the Chinese people through thick and thin. As a descendant of international friends, he said he would carry forward the legacy of the older generation, devote himself to people-to-people friendship between China and other countries, and ensure that the spirit of internationalism is passed down from generation to generation.

Jamshid Suleymanov, Chief Representative in China of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, said he was greatly honored to attend the Spring Festival reception hosted by the CPAFFC. He said the event was warm and splendid, allowing him to experience the profound charm and contemporary vitality of Chinese culture in a festive Chinese New Year atmosphere. He remarked that the northern Shaanxi storytelling performance Black Myth: Wukong seemed to perfectly combine modern Chinese-style aesthetics with traditional storytelling art, creating something both familiar and refreshing. The diabolo performance was equally astonishing, vividly showcasing the essence of traditional folk art. Throughout the evening, tradition and modernity complemented each other, appealing to a wide audience. The performances embodied rich cultural heritage while brimming with the vitality of contemporary innovation, allowing guests to feel the enduring and ever-renewing vitality of Chinese culture. He thanked the CPAFFC for carefully organizing such a high-quality and heartwarming Spring Festival cultural celebration.

Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy, Secretary-General of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU), said she was delighted to attend the Spring Festival reception at the invitation of the CPAFFC. The event was warm and friendly, bringing together friends from many countries to celebrate the Spring Festival. She sincerely thanked the organizers for their gracious invitation and thoughtful arrangements, and said she was pleased to reunite with old friends and meet new ones from around the world. Although she had previously attended many CPAFFC events, this was the first time she had celebrated the Spring Festival together with both Chinese and international friends. As this year is the Year of the Horse, and she was born in the Year of the Horse, the occasion held special significance for her. She noted that every time she participates in CPAFFC activities, she can genuinely feel the organization's sincerity in "building friendships with sincerity and touching people with genuine feeling", and said she looked forward to continuing to deepen people-to-people friendship and renew cherished bonds in the future.

This event marked the first New Year reception organized by the CPAFFC specifically for the community of international friends in Beijing. The foreign guests included relatives of veteran international friends, as well as foreign diplomats in China and representatives from international organizations, chambers of commerce and industries, friendship organizations, media outlets, think tanks, and youth communities. All CPAFFC leaders based in Beijing attended the event, together with Wang Yu, Secretary of the Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries’ Leading Party Members Group， representatives from the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, China Media Group, China International Communications Group, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beihang University, and the Foreign Affairs Office of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region; as well as representatives from media organizations including People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and China Daily.