The signing ceremony of the Strategic Cooperation between China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development (CFFPD) and Beijing Enlai Foundation was held in Beijing on December 22th. Mr. Li Xikui, the Secretary General of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Director of CFFPD, Mme. Zhou Bingde, the founder and President of Beijing Enlai Foundation and nephew of the former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, Mme. Jia Ling, Secretary General of CFFPD, Mme. Wan Xuanrong, Supervisor of CFFPD, Mr. Shen Qing, Director of Beijing Enlai Foundation, Mr. Liu Youping, Deputy Secretary General of CHINA CHARITY ALLIANCE (CCA), attended the meeting. Secretary General Li Xikui expressed welcome to Beijing Enlai Foundation delegation for its visiting and made an introduction about the main functions and duties of CPAFFC and CFFPD. He said that the signing of the agreement promoted the establishment of the close and deepen strategic cooperation partnership between CFFPD and Beijing Enlai Foundation concerning carrying forward and inheriting the spirit of Premier Zhou Enlai as well as pushing the cause of the charity for development in domestic and foreign countries. CPAFFC and CFFPD would provide more resources and opportunities for Beijing Enlai Foundation and make common efforts to develop the cooperation and exchanges between domestic and foreign countries in the field of charity. Mme. Zhou Bingde said that the strategic cooperation between the two organizations should inherit the late wishes of the older generation of revolutionaries and carry forward the spirit of Zhou Enlai to develop the cooperation in the field of charity so as to promote the people-to-people diplomacy of China. During the meeting, CFFPD Secretary General Jia Ling and Beijing Enlai Foundation Director Shen Qing signed 《Strategic Cooperation Agreement》.

  December 16th, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the British Embassy to China co-hosted the Reception on the 45th Anniversary of Ambassadorial Diplomatic Relations between China and the UK in Beijing. Vice Premier Ma Kai and Philip Hammond Chancellor of the Exchequer of the UK attended the Reception and addressed the audience.  

December 12th, 2017 marked the 200th public performance of the dance drama SOARING WINGS, co-produced by the CPAFFC, the Publicity Department of Shanghai Municipal Committee of CCP, and the Shanghai Dance Theatre. Mr.Hu Sishe, Vice President of the CPAFCC, Mr.Wang Yayuan, Deputy Director-General of the Publicity Department of Shanghai Municipal Committee of CCP and other high officials of Shanghai Municipal, experts and officials in the field of dance, main production crew of SOARING WINGS had attended the commemorative performance. In the evening, the Shanghai International Dance Center was fulled with audience from various parts of China, including Guangdong, Liaoning, Guizhou, and some from Japan.     Since the premiere in 2014, the SOARING WINGS had successfully held performances in Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, Nanjing, Changsha, Chengdu and so on, covering over 30 cities and regions in China. Organized and coordinated by the CPAFFC, it held 80 performances in Japan and 4 in Hongkong as well. The association also organized an special performance in National Center for the Performing Arts, for diplomatic envoys and foreign experts.The dance drama served as a friendship bridge for international art exchanges between China and the word, through an artistic presentation of China. On December 13th, the seminar for commemorating the 200th performance was held in Shanghai for current analysis and future development, participated by field experts, critics, main production crew and staff members. Mr.Hu Sishe made a keynote speech regarding the creative exploration, artistic presentation, dissemination of Chinese values, extension of classic and modern art, as well as successful working mechanism of Chinese cultural exchanges, which was highly appreciated by participants. 200 performances of the dance drama SOARING WINGS within 3 years reflected the audience’s well reception for reality-based theme and the artistic creation angle, as well as the strength generated through joint efforts.

On December 7, CPAFFC and the Carter Center co-hosted the 6th Forum on China-U.S. Relations with the theme of “Working Together to Anchor Global Peace & Prosperity” in Atlanta in the U.S. Ambassador Li Qiangmin, China’s Consul General to Huston, Zhang Heqiang, Director General of American and Oceanian Affairs of CPAFFC, Ambassador Mary Ann Peters, CEO of the Carter Center, and Hanscom Smith, Director of China Desk of the U.S. State Department, as well as nearly 50 representatives from political, academic and business sectors of the two countries attended the forum.

On Dec.5th, Vice President Hu Sishe met with Presidents from the U.S. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), including President David Wilson from Morgan State University, President Kevin D. Rome from Fisk University, Acting President Lester A. McCorn of Clinton College and Provost Karl S. Wright from Claflin University. VP Hu expressed warm welcome to the delegations’ visit to China. He said, China-U.S. educational cooperation is an important platform for mutual learning and better understanding between the youth of our two countries. It is also an essential part of China-U.S. social and cultural exchanges. He introduced the big role that CPAFFC plays in pushing forward China-U.S. sub-national relations and said that CPAFFC will always support the pragmatic cooperation between schools. He hoped that the U.S. school presidents could build up good relationship with Chinese counterparts, broaden the cooperation aspects, reach a successive, active and efficient model of exchanges and communications, and make positive efforts to the bilateral educational cooperation. President Wilson from Morgan University introduced the HBCU schools and spoke highly of CPAFFC’s long-term support to them. Delegates from different schools talked about the current and future cooperation with Chinese schools. All of them extended their willingness to build up connection and to enhance cooperation with Chinese higher learning education institutions, thus making more benefits to students and faculties from both countries.

The Second World Philanthropy Forum, jointly launched by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and Tsinghua University, was held from November 29 to 30, 2017 in Beijing. Li Haifeng, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attended the opening ceremony. Li Xiaolin, President of CPAFFC; Chen Xu, Chairperson of Tsinghua University Council and Gao Xiaobing, Vice Minister of Civil Affairs, delivered speeches respectively at the forum. UN Secretary-General António Guterres also sent a congratulatory letter to the forum and the upcoming “Community of shared future: a network of synergetic cooperation between charities and social services”. President Li Xiaolin pointed out that: “The World Philanthropy Forum is an open platform for participation, dedication and sharing in charity and social services. It originates from China and serves the world. We welcome insightful people to join the forum and carry out collaboration, so that we work towards the great goal of building a community of shared future for humanity.” We hope that we will promote the sharing of experience, academic exchange, policy advocacy and practical promotion of charities around the world, implement the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and advance the building of a community of shared future through the forum, said Chen Xu, Chairperson of Tsinghua University Council in her speech. The opening ceremony was attended by over 40 heads of international organizations including Nicholas Rosellini, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China and UNDP Resident Representative; Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative to China; as well as heads of Ford Foundation, World Vision International, Asia Foundation, Give2Asia and Right To Play. Upwards of 500 guests from over 400 institutions attended the forum. In addition, the heads of eight world-renowned organizations including Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sent congratulatory letters for the opening of the World Philanthropy Forum. The theme of this forum is “Synergetic Cooperation”. Centering on the theme, the forum explores and supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), gives boost to the Belt and Road Initiative and the joint discussion and building mechanism and measures in the promotion of building a community of shared future; focuses on the four topics of anti-poverty, social impact investment, environmental protection and youth development; gives full play to the role of social work, experts and scholars, overseas Chinese people, Chinese and foreign enterprises, foundations and international organizations regarding disciplines, specialties, advantages and strengths; holds seven high-level dialogues, four roundtable dialogues and four parallel forums. At the opening ceremony, the CPAFFC and World Vision International signed the Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation on ‘Every Women Every Child’ of the United Nations. In the next three years, World Vision International will invest close to 1 billion U.S. dollars in countries along the Belt and Road, and work together and unite all sectors of society to carry out livelihood projects and social services. The forum has set up a high-end advisor and partnership mechanism. Julia Eileen Gillard, President of the Global Partnership for Education and former Australian Prime Minister; Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO of Save the Children International and former Prime Minister of Denmark; Li Wei, President of Development Research Center of the State Council; and Li Jiajie, a famous entrepreneur and philanthropist and Vice Chairman of Henderson Land Development Company Group, serve as the first group of advisors of the forum. Ford Foundation and the Committee of 100 respectively serve as the global strategic partner and strategic partner of this forum. At the closing ceremony, the forum launched the World Philanthropy Forum: Chinese Social Services Cooperation Mechanism and Community of Shared Future for Mankind: Collaborative Network for Philanthropy and Social Services. Dr. Hu Sishe, Vice President of CPAFFC, read out the World Philanthropy Forum: Declaration of Friendship and announced the plan for the third forum in 2018.  

On Nov. 28, the 8th annual conference of the friendship associations between China and Iran and Symposiums on bilateral relations was convened in Beijing. The theme of the conference is “China and Iran join Hands for the Belt and Road Construction”. Vice President Lin Yi of the CPAFFC, President Ahad Mohammadi of the Iran-China Friendship Association, and Ambassador Ali Asghar Khaji of Iran to China delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. More than 100 other guests from the economic and cultural fields also attended the conference. Status quo and policies regarding bilateral cooperation in economic and cultural sectors under the framework of the Belt and Road were discussed at the conference, providing an efficient platform for people-to-people cooperation between China and Iran.  

The large-scale stage play 《Silk Road·Youth》, supported by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Education Department of Liaoning Province and jointly organized by China Friendship Institute for International Art Exchanges ( CFIIAE), Publicity Department of Dalian Committee of Communist Party of China, Working Committee of the Party of Dalian Jin pu New Area, Dalian Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Dalian Art College, was grandly performed in Great Hall of the People in November, 24th. A total of 6000 personages from all walks of life including Mme. Chen Zhili, former Vice-Chairperson of Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), Mr. Li Yi, Party Secretary of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Mr. Hu Sishe, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Zheng Fuzhi, Assistant Minister of Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Akram Zeynalli, Azerbaijan Ambassador to China, Mr. Namondwe, Malawi Ambassador to China, Mr. Miao Kwong Lee Hon Chong, Mauritius Ambassador to China and envoys from eighteen countries including Vietnam, Tajikistan, Japan, Cameroon, Gabon, Kyrgyzstan, Singapore and Equatorial Guinea as well as relevant ministries, the teachers and the students of some universities in Beijing, attended and watched the performance. This play was a new performance work that was created to celebrate the convening of 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and eulogized the Belt and Road Initiatives and magnificent cause. Through the perspective of the youth, making use of different stage performance forms including the interaction of people and screen, scenarios show, multi-layer interspersed, taking culture and art elements with vitality from different areas, countries and ethnic, this play was to show the spiritual essence of the Belt and Road Initiatives in the form of an artistic performance. The play also displayed the history, ideal and future in the perspective of the youth, expressed their vitality and the belief of adhering to the Belt and Road Initiatives and encouraged the youth to contribute to the great cause of the Belt and Road Initiatives with ambitions and hard-working.      

On Nov.23, Vice President Mr. Hu Sishe led a delegation to Sri Lanka and met with the Speaker of Sri Lanka, Mr. Karu Jayasuriya. Mr. Karu Jayasuriya welcomed the visit of the Chinese delegation and introduced the representative programs of cooperation and exchanges between China and Sri Lanka that he took part in in the past years.  Mr. Hu extended his gratitude for Mr. Speaker’s efforts in advancing bilateral relations. He gave a brief introduction to China’s 19th National Party’s Congress and the new round of political and economic reforms in China after that. He hoped that the two countries can take the new situation as an opportunity for deeper cooperation. Besides, Mr. Hu also invited Mr. Speaker to attend the International Friendship City Conference held in Wuhan, China next year and to deliver a keynote speech on the conference. 

On November 22, Vice president Mr. Hu Sishe attended the reception hosted by Persatuan Muafakat One Belt One Road (PMOBOR) . Mr. Hu had a deep discussion over the possible exchanges programs with the president and council members of PMOBOR.  Group photo with the president and council members of PMOBOR Mr.Hu said in his speech that on Nov.21, the First Silk Road NGO Cooperation Network Forum opened in Beijing. Chinese president Xi Jinping said in his congratulating message that NGOs play an important role in promoting economic and social development, international cooperation and global governance. His words reflected that the Central Committee of CPC and our national leaders have placeed emphasis on NGO’s importance in OBOR Initiative. Mr. Hu held that the founding of PMOBOR kept up with trend of the times, and seized good opportunity. We should enhance cultural exchanges so as to extend our cooperation.  Vice President, Mr. Hu Sishe delivered a speech President of PMOBOR, Mr. Datuk Iskandar Sarudin extended warm welcome to Mr. Hu and the delegation’s visit to Malaysia. He then gave a brief introduction to PMOBOR and its members. He believed that Malaysia is one of the best platforms for Chinese entrepreneurs to go global. With a good foundation of bilateral exchanges, he believed that there is vast space and great potential for further cooperation. Mr. Datuk Iskandar Sarudin, who once served as Malaysian Ambassador to China,  has been actively pushing forward Malaysia’s engagement in China’s OBOR Initiative and signed the AIIB key framework agreement on behalf of Malaysia in 2015.  Mr. Hu Sishe exchanged gifts with President of PMOBOR Mr. Hu also had talks with Mr. Dato Jefridin, chairman of TAB Foundation which was founded by Tun Abdullah Badawi, the former Malaysian Prime Minister, and met with his brother Mr. Dato Seri Ibrahim Badawi. They agreed to cohost a seminar on Tun Abdullah Badawi’s diplomatic philosophy.  Meeting with Chairman of TAB Foundation and Former Prime Minister’s Brother