On November 2nd, Vice President Xie Yuan met with the delegation of Association of Communes of Romania (A.Co.R). Vice President Xie expressed warm welcome to the delegation. He said since the signing of the MOU between China International Friendship Cities Association (CIFCA) and A. Co. R last November during the 2014 China International Friendship Cities Conference, the two sides have maintained close & frequent contacts. During the visit by CIFCA to Romania this July, the delegation received warm hospitality from A.Co.R. Vice President Xie hoped that through the visit, the two associations can deepen the friendship, promote mutual understanding, and enhance exchanges and cooperation. Entrusted by the Chinese government, the CIFCA is responsible for coordinating and managing the friendship-city relations between China and foreign countries, and has helped establish 30 affiliations of friendship states and cities between China and Romania. CIFCA will make greater efforts to help forge more friendship cities between our two countries in the future.   President Draghici of A.Co.R. thanked the CIFCA for its invitation and hospitality to his delegation. He said that A.Co.R. is devoted to creating a tighter relation between local authorities of Romania. The delegation members are from different Romanian communes and represent the good will of their own communes to cooperate with their Chinese counterparts. By visiting cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin and connecting with local authorities, they hope to lay a solid foundation for win-win cooperation in the future.

On November 2, Vice President Song Jingwu met with the delegation of veterans of Kazakhstan led by B.B.Mukushev, Vice President, Association of Veterans Organization in Kazakhstan. On behalf of CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin, Vice President Song Jingwu welcomed guests, appreciated monumental contribution of Kazakhstan veterans to China in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, expressed that the Chinese people will never forget the friendship of Kazakhstan and China cemented with blood, hoped that the two peoples in the best period of development of relations of China and Kazakhstan inherit the friendship forged in the war time from generation to generation. B.B.Mukushev expressed that great changes have taken place in China for the past 70 years. They highly appreciate the positive efforts of China in safeguarding world peace and stability. The delegation paid a visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese embassy in kazakhstan, they visited Urumqi, Shanghai, Harbin and Beijing. The three veterans fought  at the northeast battle field in China during the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

'The First China-Japan Youth Chinese Calligraphy Exchange & Friendly Oath-Taking Ceremony’ was held in Beijing on Novermber 1st, 2015. Mr. Li Xikui, Secretary General of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Mr. YASUSHI YAMAMOTO, Minister of the Embassy of Japan in China, Mr. Zhang Juxiang, Director General of the China Service Center for Friendship and Cooperation with Foreign Countries (CSC),  attended the activity and delivered speeches. This activity was jointly held by CSC, Philia Non-Profitable Organization, and Kao (China) Holding Co.,Ltd..The activity was also received great support from the CPAFFC, Embassy of Japan in China, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, and Japanese Association in Beijing. One hundred young amateur calligraphers from China and Japan attended the activity. The youth were selected from Beijing Hepingli Ninth Primary School, Beijing Yue Tan Middle School, University of International Business and Economics, Embassy Affiliated Japanese School of Beijing, China, Beijing Japanese Students Association Beijing Japanese Student Association (BJSA).Together with each other, they created the “Oath to Friendship” with one hundred Chinese characters. Through each one writing one character, the youth expressed their wish for forever friendship between China and Japan. After the Chinese calligraphy exchanges had finished, those one hundred Chinese and Japanese youth took a solemn oath under the Peace Bell in the CPAFFC, and together stroke the bell 21 times, which expressed the young generation’s strong expectation for the friendship of the two countries in the 21st century. Mr. Li Chunbo, Council Member of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, Mr. An Hongyu, Member of Beijing Calligraphers Association, and Mrs. RIE MAEDA, Committee Member of SOUSHINKAI, acted as judges in this Chinese Calligraphy activity, and granted the contestants gold, silver and bronze medals. Through Chinese calligraphy, the main purpose of this activity is to enhance the mutual exchange among the youth from China and Japan, to strengthen the public support of the friendship between the two countries, and to promote harmonious, peaceful and prosperous bilateral ties. Mr. NISIMIZU TORU, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in China, Mr. MINORU NAKANISHI, Chairman of Board of Directors of Kao(China) Holding Co., Ltd., Mr. SAKASITA  SIGENOBU, Chairman of Committee of Philia of Non-Profitable Organization, Mr. SHUYA OKUDA, Principal of the Embassy Affiliated Japanese School of Beijing, China, Mrs. Hou Lihua, Secretary of the Beijing Dongcheng District Hepingli Ninth Primary School and Mr. Liu Jingshen, Vice President of the Beijing Dongcheng District Hepingli Ninth Primary School, Mrs. Chen Zhen, Vice President of Beijing Yue Tan Middle School, and Mrs. Zhang Shanshan, Secretary of the Youth League Committee of the School of International Studies of the University of International Business and Economics, attended the above activities.          

Initiated by Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and Chinese Embassy in Turkey, the first delegation of China-Turkey Youth Friendship Envoy Project (consisting 15 members) visited China from October 26th to 31st. In Beijing, Mme. Lin Yi, Vice President of the CPAFFC met and hosted a welcome dinner for the delegation. The delegation also communicated with the students and teachers of Turkish Language Department in Asian and African School of Beijing Foreign Studies University, under the theme of "China in your eyes and Turkey in my eyes". Turkish Chanel of China Radio International conducted the interview and reported the activity. Besides Beijing, the delegation also visited Yinchuan and Shanghai. They met and communicated with Hui, Uygur, Kazak and other minorities students in the University of Northern Nationalities, and visited Heshun New Village of Liangtian Town in Jinfeng District and Islam Institute. Mrs. Bai Yuzhen, Deputy Director General of Foreign Affairs Office of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, met with the delegation. During in Shanghai, the delegation visited the Old Pier Creation Park.  

   On Oct. 30th, Mr. Ji Yongjun, Deputy Director General met with Mr. Earl Bousque, President of Saint Lucia-China Friendship Association. The both sides held discussion on the friendly exchanges on the areas of tourism, education, arts and sister cities between the two countries.

On October 30, Vice President Song Jingwu met with Delegation of Association of Cultural Centers of Rencounter (ACCR) of France led by its Chairman Yves Dauge. Vice President Song spoke highly of ACCR's efforts and contributions to promoting Sino-French cultural exchange, especially in the area of Chinese heritage protection and reuse. The aims of ACCR are heritage protection and cultural exchange by making protective and exploiting plans for local governments and recruiting ACCR members. In November 2014, CPAFFC and ACCR signed cooperative agreement. By now ACCR has taken in the 1895 Culture Creative Industry Park of Nantong City of Jiangsu Province as its first Chinese member.

On 29th October, Vice President Song Jingwu met with Mr. José Luis García Galán, the new Minister of the Spanish Embassy. Vice President Song briefly introduced the main functions of the CPAFFC, reviewed a series of effective activities co-hosted by the CPAFFC and the Spanish Embassy, especially the 8th China-Spain Forum which were successfully held in Madrid this April. José Luis García Galán expressed that China-Spain Forum is the most important platform of two countries, however, the forum is not the only method. The Spanish Embassy is willing to implement outcomes of the the Forum with CPAFFC, constantly open up new areas of cooperation to make more contribution to the friendship between China and Spain.

On 25th October, Vice President Song Jingwu attended the Opening Ceremony of the Danish Culture Center in the 798 Art District. On the meeting with the Danish Foreign Minister Mr. Kristian Jensen, Mr. Song briefly introduced the aim and main tasks of the CPAFFC, reviewed the reception and seminar which were successfully co-hosted by the CPAFFC and the Danish Embassy on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and Denmark, expressed the willing of  promoting the regional cooperation and people to people exchange between China and Denmark. Minister Jensen said that people to people exchange is an important constituent part of the Chinese and Danish bilateral ties. Denmark is going to announce the year of 2017 and 2018 to be the Danish tourism years and hoping more Chinese tourists to come to Denmark and enhancing the mutual understanding between the two peoples. Minister Jensen and Vice President Song delivered speeches and together unveiled the nameplate of the Danish Culture Center.  

To further the development of and deepen the cooperation between China-U.S. sister cities, the Second China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference was cohosted by CPAFFC and SCI from October 22 to 23 in the City of Chicago in the U.S. Vice President Xie Yuan of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Consul General Zhao Weiping of the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago, Minister Counselor Heng Xiaojun of the Chinese Embassy to the U.S., Mayor Rahm Emanuel of the City of Chicago and President and CEO Mary Kane of Sister Cities International, as well as nearly 200 politicians, business leaders and scholars from 10 provinces of China and 25 states of the U.S. attended the conference. In his speech, Vice President Xie said, entrusted by the Chinese government, CPAFFC is responsible for the coordination and management of sister cities relations between Chinese cities and province and their counterparts abroad. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and US, 200 pairs of sister cities and 44 pairs of sister state and province have been established between the two countries. For the past more than 30 years, the growth of bilateral relations has been achieved through the support of local governments and their people. Going forward, it will continue to draw strength from and deliver benefits to them. As the major form of sub-national exchanges and cooperation, sister cities relations is going to play a unique role building major country relations between the two countries. Both sides should make the most out of this platform, enhancing pragmatic cooperation, starting a brilliant new page of friendship, cooperation and development for the provinces, states and cities of the two countries. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Shenyang Municipal Congress said in their speech that the 30-year history of sister cities relations has laid a solid foundation for further cooperation between the two cities. They hoped this conference could be a new starting point for strengthening friendship and deepening cooperation. Based on years of trade and economic cooperation, both cities should increase people-to-people exchanges, strengthening cultural, educational and business cooperation. In her remarks, SCI president and CEO Mary Kane reviewed the history of sister cities relations between the two countries, hoping that the sister cities continue pragmatic cooperation and friendly exchanges, promoting the development of U.S.-China relations. Consul General Zhao Weiping said, the conference was the first important meeting on China-U.S. sub-national cooperation since Chinese President Xi Jinping successfully visited the U.S., and it has special significance for development of and pragmatic cooperation between sister cities of the two countries. With the continuation of both sides’ efforts to build a new model of major country relations and the consistent prosperity of their economies, cities of both countries are blessed with opportunities for win-win cooperation.  The conference has been listed as one of the achievements of the 7th China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

  At the invitation of CPAFFC, a chamber music ensemble dispatched by Villa Musica, a state foundation of German Bundesland Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), visited China from October 16 to 23. Headed by the state secretory of Rheinland-Palatinate and the foundation’s head of board, Mr. Schumacher, the group staged concerts in Beijing, Suqian city of Jiangsu Province, and Fuzhou, Fujian Province. CPAFFC’s Vice President Hu Sishe and mayor of Suqian Wang Tianqi met with the delegation and attended the concerts. Vice president Hu expressed his wish for a long-lasting and innovative cooperation between Villa Musica and CPAFFC to enhance cultural exchanges among the peoples.   Distinguished violin professor Ervis Gega-Dodi, violist Fernando Arias-Parra, cellist Julian Bachmann, and pianist Meri Tschabaschwili played four piano and string quartets composed by Mozart, presenting the Chinese audience wonderful nights of classicism.   Villa Musica was established by the state government in 1986 and started its friendship with CPAFFC in 1993. Since then the two organizations have been exchanging young musicians for tour performances every other year. The concerts were held specifically in Suqian city, which became the sister city last month of Neuwied where Villa Musica locates; and in Fujian Province because of its friendly ties with Rheinland-Palatinate since 1995.   During the tour, Mr. Schumacher invited CPAFFC to send a troupe to Germany next year in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Villa Musica, and to join the state and city of Trier to hold cultural activities commemorating the bicentennial of Karl Marx’s birth.