On June 29, the reception in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cote d'Ivoire, co-hosted by CPAFFC and the Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire in China, was held in Beijing. H.E. Mr. Zheng Jianbang, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Mr. Xie Yuan, Vice President of CPAFFC, Major General Liu Dianjun, Assistant to Air Force Chief of Staff, Mr. Wan Li, Deputy Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mme. Cai Shufen, President of Beijing Municipal Women's Federation, H.E. Mr. Dosso Adama, Ambassador of Cote d'Ivoire to China, and other 300 Chinese and African representatives from all walks of life attended the reception.  Vice President Xie Yuan said that Cote d’Ivoire is China’s traditional friendly country and important partner in West Africa. In recent years, the mutual political trust between China and Cote d'Ivoire has been continuously enhanced while trade cooperation getting closer, cultural exchanges flourishing and mutual understanding being gradually deepened. Taking the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cote d'Ivoire and the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation as an opportunity, China is willing to make joint efforts with Cote d'Ivoire to further all-round and multi-level friendly and cooperative relations. Ambassador Dosso said that the friendship between Cote d'Ivoire and China withstands the test of time. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 35 years ago, the two countries have attained new achievements in the exchanges of different fields. Cote d'Ivoire will continue, as always, to support China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, participate in the “Belt and Road Initiative” and build with China the community of shared future for mankind. Vice Chairman of the CPPCC Mr. Zheng Jianbang meet with Ambassador Dosso Vice President of the CPAFFC Mr. Xie Yuan gave a speech Vice Chairman of the CPPCC Mr. Zheng Jianbang gave Ambassador Dosso the book Xi Jinping: the Governance of China as a gift. Vice Chairman of the CPPCC Mr. Zheng Jianbang gave Ambassador Dosso commemorative plate as a gift. Vice Chairman of the CPPCC Mr. Zheng Jianbang and Ambassador Dosso cut the celebration cake together     Photographed by Xu Yan    

On June 28th, invited by Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs of South Africa, Vice President Lin Yi of CPAFFC led a delegation to attend the BRICS Friendship Cities, Local Governments Cooperation and Urbanization Forum held in East London, EasternCape and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony on behalf of the Chinese delegates. The BRICS Friendship Cities and Local Governments Cooperation Forum was jointly launched by CPAFFC and CIFCA in 2011. It aims to promote friendship-city twinning and international cooperation and exchanges among the BRICS countries. It is convened annually by the hosting country of the BRICS Leaders Meeting since the year 2011.  Under the theme of Building sustainable and inclusive cities through innovation and partnerships, delegates discussed issues of urbanization cooperation, sustainable human settlements and urban-rural infrastructure development and etc. at plenaries and parallel sessions of the forum. Besides the delegation of CPAFFC, about 500 delegates including Deputy Minister Andries Nel of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs of South Africa, Director Alessandra Vieira of Ministry of Cities of Brazil, Counsul-general Roman Ambarov of Russia, Joint Secretary Khushwant Singh Sethi of Panchayati Raj of India are present. As the host, Premier Phumulo Masualle of Eastern Cape Province and Executive Mayor Xola Pakati of Buffalo City Metro and attended and delivered opening remarks. During the forum, Vice President Lin met with Deputy Minister Andries Nel of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs of South Africa and President Parks Tau of South African Local Government Association respectively. They had in-depth exchanges on promoting cooperation at local and regional level between China and South Africa. Vice President Lin Yi also invited them to attend China International Friendship Cities Conference held in Wuhan this November. Lin said that we BRICS countries are committed to upholding global peace and contributing to the international security order. With the increasingly close ties among BRICS countries, the BRICS Friendship Cities and Local Governments Cooperation Forum has become an important content of BRICS cooperation. We should make full use of the forum mechanism to strengthen the friendship and local governments cooperation among the BRICS countries. We should expand the coverage of BRICS cooperation and deliver its benefits to more people and promote the "BRICS Plus" cooperation approach and build an open and diversified network of development partnerships to accelerate results-oriented cooperation at local and regional level.   Photographed by Liu Hongmin and Wang Bo

China (Xing County) International Symposium on Poverty Relief and its side events, co-hosted by the CPAFFC and Shanxi Provincial People’s Government, were successfully held in Xing County, Lvliang City, Shanxi Province from June 27 to 28, 2018. CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin and Vice Governor of Shanxi Province Chen Yongqi attended the symposium. Jamaican Ambassador to China Antonia Hugh and over 160 guests from embassies, international organizations and multinational corporations of 16 countries also participated in the symposium. CPAFFC Vice President Xie Yuan and Secretary General Li Xikui attended relevant events respectively. The theme of the symposium is “A Bridge of Friendship and Cooperation, Joining Hands to Facilitate International Poverty Reduction”. It aims to build a platform for Chinese and overseas communities to discuss poverty alleviation, promote international exchanges and cooperation on poverty alleviation, showcase Xing County to the world, and provide strong support for the poverty-stricken areas to achieve poverty-reduction goals at an early date. In her speech at the opening ceremony, CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin said that it is the common mission of human society to eliminate poverty. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping at the core has made poverty alleviation a key task in achieving the first centenary goal to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the CPC marks its centenary. China has made decisive progress in poverty alleviation, offering China’s wisdom and China’s approach to achieve global poverty reduction. Targeted poverty alleviation was identified by the 19th CPC National Congress as one of the three tough battles that China must win to secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. New deployment has also been made. As required by the CPC Central Committee, the CPAFFC carried out targeted poverty alleviation work in Xing County, and implemented a series of poverty alleviation projects. The CPAFFC would take this symposium as an opportunity to share experiences in poverty alleviation, bring together resources from all walks of life both at home and abroad, and contribute to the poverty alleviation in poverty-stricken areas at an early date. Vice Governor Chen Yongqi said that Shanxi Province implemented the decisions and policies of the CPC Central Committee, and fully carried out the “Eight Major Projects” and “Twenty Actions” of poverty alleviation. In the past five years, 2.75 million people had been lifted out of poverty, and the poverty headcount ratio had dropped from 13.6% to less than 3.9%. Shanxi Province would strengthen exchanges and cooperation with other countries in strategic emerging industries such as new technologies, new materials, new energy, energy conservation and environmental protection and high-end equipment manufacturing. Ambassador Antonia Hugh said in his speech that poverty is a development issue as well as a global issue. He expressed his appreciation for China’s determination to declare war on poverty. He believed that under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China's development would bring more opportunities for global poverty reduction. The symposium was chaired by CPAFFC Secretary General Li Xikui.       The letter of intent on poverty relief programs signing ceremony between international organizations (enterprises) and Xing County and donation ceremony were held at the opening ceremony. The CPAFFC, the OSI Group, Prologis, Essilor Vision Foundation, BBCI (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. and other organizations and enterprises sighed strategic cooperation agreement on poverty alleviation with Xing County People’s Government. Qualcomm, VISA Inc., AstraZeneca, United Technologies Corporation, and Rongbaozhai Company and other enterprises donated student computers, school bags, youth STEM incubation spaces and cultural products to the Xing County People's Government.         During the main conference, Liu Zhijie, Director General of Shanxi Poverty Alleviation and Development Office, Li Zhengyin, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC Shanxi Provincial Committee and Secretary of CPC Lvliang City Committee, Liang Zhifeng, Secretary of the CPC Xing County Committee, Aicha Mokdahi, President of Essilor Vision Foundation, Kitamura Tomoo, Director of Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, Beijing, Li Fei, Vice President for Government Relations, United Technologies China, Guo Tao, Vice Chairman of Qualcomm, and other representatives from local governments, international organizations and enterprises, delivered speeches respectively on international poverty alleviation cooperation.         The seminar on targeted poverty alleviation work by CPAFFC was held on the afternoon of June 27. Li Xiaolin attended and addressed the seminar. She said that the CPAFFC attached great importance to targeted poverty alleviation and has repeatedly studied and deployed relevant work. By mobilizing all parties, integrating Chinese and overseas resources and dispatching outstanding officials to work in the poverty-stricken areas, the CPAFFC implemented a series of effective projects. In order to further strengthen the targeted poverty alleviation work, the association held China (Xing County) International Symposium on Poverty Relief, so as to bring supports at home and abroad, especially the advanced development concepts and scientific management experiences, to Xing County. The next step is to strengthen the study on theories and policies on poverty alleviation, take Xi Jingping’s thought on targeted poverty alleviation as guidance on practices, enhance the relationship with the people of Xing County, strengthen the ties between the local leaders and the people in difficulty, increase researches on poverty alleviation, and further strengthen communication and coordination with the Xing County People’s Government. At the seminar, senior officials of Lvliang City and Xing County introduced the poverty alleviation work at the city and county levels. The two parties conducted in-depth discussions on continuing to strengthen communication and collaboration and promote effective cooperation.           In the afternoon, CPAFFC Vice President Xie Yuan led a working team and went for a study tour to Shahao Village of Caijiaya Town, Xing County, where a CPAFFC official worked as First Secretary of the poverty-stricken village. The team discussed with the cadres of the CPC Shahao Village Committee, called on villagers Wang Pinggang, Liu Yingsheng and Liu Xiying, and visit the construction site of Shahao farm. The team also visited Jinsui Border Revolution Museum and said that they would inherit and carry forward the revolutionary spirit and the spirit of Jinsui, to make new achievements in poverty alleviation.         In the meanwhile, CPAFFC Secretary General Li Xikui and over 100 participants of the symposium visited the key poverty alleviation projects in Xing County. The group visited Zhangjialiang ecological poverty alleviation project in Caijiaya Town. They visited Xing County E-Commerse Public Service Center and Qingquan Vinegar Company in Kangning Agricultural Park, to learn about the quality, online sales of the specialty products such as millet, dates, walnuts and vinegar and the effect to reduce poverty. The group also went to Division 120 School to learn about the schooling situation of the left-behind children and poor students in Xing County, and unveiled the youth STEM incubation space donated by United Technologies Corporation.       On the morning of June 28, CPC Lvliang City Committee and Lvliang City People’s Government hosted the poverty relief promotion conference. Relevant government officials marketed local agricultural specialties, such as minor coarse cereals, dates and walnuts. More than 40 kinds of products from over 20 agricultural enterprises were displayed. 112 industrial projects with a total investment of 94 billion yuan were also presented. Chinese and overseas representatives enthusiastically discussed cooperation intentions with the heads of local enterprises .      

On the morning of June, 27th, Mme. AICHA MOKDAHI, Chairperson of France Foundation Vision Essilor (FFVE) and Mr. Liu Shiqing，County Mayor of Xing County, Shanxi Province,  signed a cooperative agreement on China (Xing County) International Symposium on Poverty Relief co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and People’s Government of Shanxi Province. According to the agreement, FFVE will donate an optometry center to Xing County People’s Hospital, so as to assistant Xing County to do well in poverty alleviation. CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin and Vice Governor of Shanxi Province Chen Yongqi were witnesses to the signing ceremony. Under the framework of cooperation between CPAFFC and SPF (Secours Populaire Fran?ais), FFVE had begun to develop the poverty alleviation program “Bright Sight, Viewing World” in Xing County last year. Children in Xing County were required to have their vision tested, and free ten thousands pairs of glasses would be given to near sighted children. For more than one year, this program had been basically completed and had achieved great success. In addition, Secretary of Secrétariat National of SPF THIERRY ROBERT announced in opening remark that it will donate a school bus to Xing County.             Photographed by Zuo Fengqiang    

Project launching conference on “strengthening experience sharing of Chinese urbanization, promoting building of urban cluster along Maritime Silk Road” was held in the auditorium of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on June,15th. Mr. Chen Yuan, Vice Chairman of the 12th CPPCC and Director of Silk Road Planing Research Center, attended the conference and made an important speech. Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), was also present and delivered a speech concerning the main tasks of CPAFFC and this project.           Photographed by Chen Lei

Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with the union of Chinese Residing in Japan delegation on June, 13. During the meeting, Vice President Song first expressed warm welcome to the delegation and made an introduction about the history and the tasks CPAFFC had made during promoting people-to-people cultural exchanges with foreign countries. Vice President Song hoped that overseas Chinese residing in Japan would continue spreading Chinese culture as friendship ambassadors of cultural exchange between China and Japan. He also expected them to make use of their own advantages to actively devote themselves to the exchanges and cooperation of the two countries and make more contributions to the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. Mr. Liu Hongyou, President of the union of Chinese Residing in Japan, thanked Vice President Song for taking time to meet the delegation and focused on report on the opportunities and challenges the union of Chinese Residing in Japan had confronted with. Therefore, President Liu hoped that CPAFFC could give support in the cultural exchange programs of the two countries and also expected to establish a long-term relationship with CPAFFC to make more contributions to increasing the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.           Photographed by Xiu Yilin        

Art Exhibition in Commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of China’s Reform and Opening-up, which was co-hosted by China Friendship Institute for International Art Exchanges (CFIIAE) and Rong Bao Zhai (Tianjing), and was organized by Rong Bao Zhai Painting Institute, was held in the auditorium of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) on June,12th. Calligraphers and Painters got together and presented their works as gifts to the exhibition to commemorate the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up. Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of CPAFFC, Mr. Tang Hui, Deputy General Manager of Rong Bao Zhai, Mme. DOLANA MSIMANG, the Republic of South Africa Ambassador to China, Mme. Shani Calyaneratne Karunaratne, Charge d'affaires of Embassy of the Republic of Sir Lanka in China, Mr. Han Win Aung, Minister Counsellor of Myanmar Embassy in China, Mr. TAKAMOTO FUKUDA, Cultural Counsellor of Japanese Embassy in China, Mr. Wang Heshan, Secretary General of CFIIAE, Mr. Wang Bin，General Manager of Rong Bao Zhai (Tianjing), and hundreds of personages from the art circle in Beijing, attended the exhibition. President Li Xiaolin expressed in her address that reform and opening-up records the great journey of common progress of China and the rest of the world. China has lived up to its responsibility as a major country. From “bringing in” to “going global”, from WTO accession to the Belt and Road Initiative, which meets its people’s aspiration and follows the trend of the times. The paintings and calligraphy writings exhibited this time were just the good opportunities for the painters and calligraphers to sing of beautiful scenery of homeland and a better life of Chinese people and to express their best wishes of realizing Chinese Dream for a new era. South Africa Ambassador DOLANA MSIMANG said that, the whole world had witnessed the great changes in China since the beginning of China’s reform and opening up forty years ago---once poor China had now become the second biggest economy in the world, which made remarkable achievements.  DOLANA MSIMANG expressed that, South Africa, my homeland, and the whole African Continent, both of which had benefited a lot from this policy. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa. DOLANA MSIMANG also hoped that both countries could continue standing together and supporting each other, which push forward the bilateral relations to a new level. Mr. Tang hui, Deputy General Manager of Rong Bao Zhai and President of Rong Bao Zhai Painting Institute said that, reform and opening up had changed China and even influenced the world. Therefore, he decided to keep up with the pace of reform and opening up and gradually transformed Rong Bao Zhai into a comprehensive cultural enterprise with calligraphy writings and paintings, stationery, woodcuts, framing and repair, auction and mortgage, publishing and printing, education and training, tea culture, import and export and others as one. Rong Bao Zhai has now become a typical representative in the field of art in China. This exhibition aims at showing a prosperous country through these works and describing the great achievements China had made since the reform and opening-up. Multiple works of Beautiful Flowers in Prosperous Times and Beautiful Mountains and Rivers in Prosperous Times created by famous painters and calligraphers were exhibited on the opening ceremony. Some of these works were respectively presented to the Embassies of South Africa, Sir Lanka, Myanmar and Japan to collect. The organizers decided to donate a part of earnings made from the other works to Xing (County), Shanxi province to improve the art and culture education of the youth there. This Art Exhibition displayed near 70 pieces of valuable works painted by seven artists including Tang Hui, Wang Yunshu, Yi Feng, Gao Yongqian, Fan Yi, Chang Chang, Yun Yao, who were recommended by Rong Bao Zhai Painting Institute. These works  mainly depicted the beautiful scenery of homeland and a better life of Chinese people after the reform and opening-up. The exhibition would be held until the 15th of June.      

On June 9, the 2018 Annual Meeting and General Assembly of the Swiss-Chinese Association was held in Zurich. Anderies Diener was elected as new president of the association. Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard, Former President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, attended the meeting and delivered a speech on the Belt and Road Initiative cooperation between Switzerland and China. CPAFFC Vice President Song Jingwu, Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland Geng Wenbing and Swiss Ambassador to China Jean-Jacquesde Dardel attended and addressed the meeting. Swiss media and academic representatives participated in a round table discussion on the Belt and Road Initiative. Song Jingwu signed a cooperation agreement on behalf of the CPAFFC with the Swiss-Chinese Association.                  

Co-hosted by the CPAFFC and Ningbo Municipal People`s Government, the 2018 China-CEEC Mayors Forum was held in Ningbo on 8 June. Focusing on the theme of `Deepening Local Cooperation for Belt and Road Implementation`, local leaders, scholars and entrepreneurs from China and central and Eastern European countries were gathered to exchange ideas on internet and trade facilitation, investment liberalization and pilot zone for economic cooperation, and innovation and SME cooperation. Before the Forum, Mr. Qiu Dongyao, Mayor of Ningbo City, and Mme. Lin Yi, Vice President of CPAFFC jointly held a meeting with guests from China and CEE countries. At the opening ceremony, Mme. Lin Yi, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Hrnciar, Deputy Speaker of Slovak National Assembly, and Mr. Qiu Dongyao, Mayor of Ningbo City, gave speeches respectively. Altogether 300 delegates attended the forum, including over 20 local leaders from Chinese provinces and cities such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Liaoning, Sichuan, Henan, and over 20 CEE local leaders such as Mr. Hrnciar, Deputy Speaker of Slovak National Assembly and Mayor of Martin, and also representatives of China-CEEC friendship associations, embassies and consulates, scholars and entrepreneurs. At the closing ceremony, participants from China and CEE countries jointly proposed the establishment of China-CEEC Cities Cooperation Committee.             Photographed by Xiu Yujia

On June 8, 2018, CPAFFC Vice President Hu Sishe led the delegation of “Art of China Tour” to meet with Kiyoshi Ueda, President of the National Governors’ Association of Japan and Governor of Saitama Prefecture. During the meeting, Hu Sishe said that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty. China-Japan relations are at a significant moment serving as a link between past and future, and facing a rare opportunity for improvement and development. Not long ago, Governor Kiyoshi Ueda and CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin co-chaired the "China-Japan Governor Governor's Forum", which played a positive role in promoting exchanges and cooperation between local governments of the two countries. He pointed out that the friendly exchanges between China and Japan had always been a very important task for the CPAFFC. Even when the relations between the two countries faced difficulties, the association was always attaching importance to promoting the people-to-people friendship between China and Japan, which laid a solid foundation of public opinions for the high-level exchanges between the two countries. Hu Sishe specially thanked Kiyoshi Ueda for his contributions to the friendly exchanges between China and Japan as the president of the National Governors’ Association of Japan and Governor of Saitama Prefecture, and expressed his hope to see more pragmatic exchanges and cooperation in the future. Kiyoshi Ueda thanked the CPAFFC for its active commitment to friendly exchanges with all walks of life in Japan. He said that he was willing to work with the CPAFFC to carry out unremittingly friendly exchanges between the people, inherit and carry forward the tradition of Japan-China friendship, and continue to contribute to the improvement of the friendly relations between the two countries, regardless of the general political environment.         Photographed by Liu Wenwen