On March 20th, Mr. Hu Sish，Vice President of the CPAFFC met with Mr. Calleja, President of the Malta China Friendship Society，H.E.Ambassador John Aquilina attended meeting. Mr. Hu Sishe said the CPAFFC has maintained long last friendly cooperation with the Malta China Friendship Society. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malta, the CPAFFC is willing to take this opportunity to cooperate with the Maltese side to bring the economic, culture and education cooperation between China and Malta to a new high under the “One Belt One Road”initiative. Mr. Calleja and H.E.Ambassador John Aquilina highly valued the development of Malta-China relations, said this year the Malta China Friendship Society will host ceremonies mark the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the Maltese Embassy in China will host an anniversary reception with the CPAFFC. 

On March 18th, Mr. Hu Sishe met with the delegates of 2017 Shouchiku Kabuki’s visit to China and hosted a welcoming banquet honoring Mr. Hagiuta Kouichi, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Nakasone Hirofumi, senate member and President of LDP Congressmen’s League for the Revitalization of Kabuki, Mr. Ando Hiroyasu, President of Japan Foundation, and Mr. Otani Nobuyoshi, president of Shochiku Company Limited. In his welcoming speech, Mr. Hu pointed out that this year sees the 45th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between China and Japan. Ten years have passed since Shochiku Kabuki’s last visit to China. It’s a meaningful cultural exchange activity to introduce Kabuki-the essence of Japanese culture to Chinese people. He also briefed the delegates about the ongoing performance tour by China National Peking Opera Company in Japan and a new round of performance tour of the dance drama Crested Ibises led by the CPAFFC in the near future. He hoped that the two sides can work together for building more platforms of exchanges so as to write a new chapter for bilateral cultural exchanges and friendship.  Mr. Hagiuta Kouichi, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary mentioned in his speech that the year of 2017 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between China and Japan, and the next year marks the 40th anniversary of signing the Treaty of Peace and Friendship. We should take the two anniversaries as a good opportunity to promote bilateral exchanges in politics, economy, culture and people-to-people activities. Such exchanges should include traditional ones like Kabuki and Peking Opera as well as modern ones like movies and so on. Such kind of exchanges will pave the way for mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples. Mr. Nakasone Hirofumi, senate member, former Foreign Minister and former Minister of Education looked back on the friendly exchanges in the past between Peking Opera and Kabuki. He hoped that the two arts can enlighten each other through exchanges and help the two peoples know better of the time-honored important history of bilateral exchanges. Mr. Ando Hiroyasu, president of Japan Foundation, spoke on behalf of the host of this performance and extended gratitude to the CPAFFC, the China-Japan Friendship Association, and Shochiku Company Limited for their strong support. He wished the 5 performances in Beijing a complete success. After the banquet, Mr. Hu Sishe watched the debut of this performance tour at Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center together with the Japanese guests.  On the evening of March 17th, Japanese Embassy in China hosted the welcoming reception for Houchiku Kabuki delegation. Mr. Hu attended the reception and delivered a speech on behalf of the CPAFFC.  2017 Shouchiku Kabuki’s visit to China was hosted by Japan Foundation and supported by the CPAFFC and Japan-China Friendship Association. The relevant staff engaged in this visit total over 90. Three classical plays including Yoshitsune, Koibikyakuyamatoourai, and Fujimusume were on show totally for five times on March 18th, 19th, and 20th.

On March 17th, Madam Lin Yi, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met with a 6-member-delegation headed by Mr. Abdeljebar El-Qastalani,Vice President of Souss-Massa Region of Morocco. Vice President Lin expressed her pleasure to meet with Mr. Abdeljebar El-Qastalani again. In October last year, at the invitation of the CPAFFC, Mr.Qastalani led a local government delegation from Morocco to attend the 2016 China International Friendship Cities Conference in Chongqing. Today, the visit of Mr.Qastalani to China again had proved that the Morocco side attached great importance to the development of local government exchanges between both countries. The CPAFFC is willing to maintain communication and coordination with the Souss-Massa Region to promote the exchanges and cooperation in the fields of local governments, enterprises and scholars as well as the development of people-to-people friendship relations between China and Morocco. Mr. Qastalani thanked Madam Lin’s meeting with the delegation and spoke highly of the CPAFFC’s role in promoting friendly exchanges between the people of China and other countries including Morocco. He said the friendly relations between China and Morocco had a long history. Morocco was located at the junction of Europe and Africa. It is willing to become China’s gate to enter Africa. Since the visit of the King of Morocco to China last year, the bilateral cooperation had developed rapidly in political, economic and other fields. In July this year, the Souss-Massa Region would organize an event to introduce investment opportunities in Morocco. Chinese local governments and enterprises are welcomed to participate in the event to advance the bilateral pragmatic cooperation between the two sides.

On March 16, the CPAFFC Vice President Mme. Lin Yi met with H.E. Mrs. Winnie N. Chibesakunda, Ambassador of Zambia to China. Mme. Lin Yi said that the CPAFFC has long been committed to promoting China-Africa local government exchanges and is willing to enhance communications with the Embassy and actively provide assistance, so as to facilitate the development of friendship cities and local government cooperation between the two countries. Ambassador Chibesakunda said that the Zambian government attaches great importance to developing bilateral relations and deepening mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation. The Embassy will stay in close contact with the CPAFFC to jointly consolidate the people-to-people friendship between Zambia and China.

On March 15th, the farewell banquet for Israeli Young Ambassador Delegation was held at the Peace Palace of the CPAFFC. Mme. Lin Yi, Vice President of the CPAFFC, Mrs. Niu Zhenyun, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Beijing BAYI School, Mr. Yitzhak Eldan, Head of Israeli Young Ambassador School and Head of Delegation, H. E. Mr. Zvi Heifetz, Ambassador of the State of Israel to China delivered speeches at the banquet respectively. Afterward, the agreement on friendly exchanges was signed between Beijing BAYI School and Israeli Young Ambassador School. Cultural performances were jointly staged by the students of the two parties as well. Mme. Lin Yi congratulated on the success of the delegation’s first visit to China. She said that both Chinese people and Jewish people embrace ancient and splendid civilization, and enjoy friendly relations with a long history . The CPAFFC attaches importance to the exchanges between the young people in China and Israel, and would like to take this opportunity to build up a bridge connecting the youth of both sides. Mr.Yitzhak Eldan appreciated the CPAFFC’s efforts in arranging thoughtful and colorful schedule, which left beautiful memories to the young people of the delegation. The visit has forged profound friendship between young people of two sides . Mrs. Niu Zhenyun and H. E. Mr. Zvi Heifetz spoke highly of the CPAFFC’s role in promoting interactions of young people between two countries. 

On March 13, CPAFFC Vice President Song Jingwu met with Croatian Ambassador to China Mr. Nebojsa Koharovic. The two parties spoke highly of the great progress of the bilateral relations, and discussed hosting the reception celebrating the 25th anniversary of China-Croatia diplomatic relations. Mr. Lv Hongwei, Deputy Director General of CPAFFC European and Asian Department, and Ms. Bisera Fabrio, Political Counselor of Croatian Embassy in Beijing, were present during the meeting.

At the invitation of Japan-China Friendship Center (JCFC), Vice President of CPAFFC Mr. Song Jingwu led a delegation paying a friendly visit to Japan, including Tokyo, Okinawa and other places from March 7 to 11. During visiting in Tokyo, the delegation respectively paid official visits to JCFC President EDA SATSUKI, Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) President OKAMOTO TAMOTSU, JOSAI UNIVERSITY former President MIZUTA NORIKO and Chargé d'affasiread Interim of the Chinese Embassy in Japan Liu Shaobin. The delegation also attended the reception for welcoming 2017 the first batch of the Chinese college students. During visiting in Okinawa, the delegation respectively paid official visits to Okinawa Prefecture’s Governor ONAGA TAKESHI and Okinawa Japan-China Friendship Association (OJCFA) President TOMIYAMA TOSHIHARU . On visiting the personages mentioned above, the Chinese side exchanged views with them on the topics of common concern, including the cooperation between the two local governments, the youth exchanges and etc. Both sides agreed to take the important opportunities of the 45th anniversary of the normalization of the diplomatic relations between China and Japan to take advantage of the exchange mechanism, focus on training the successors for the cause of China and Japan friendship and continuously enhance the mutual understanding and friendly emotion of the two peoples, so as to promote the exchanges and cooperation of the two peoples and the local to a new stage.

Vice President Xie Yuan met with Mr. Neal Keny-Guyer, Global CEO of Mercy Corps on March 10th. Vice President Xie thanked Mercy Corps for its support on 2016 World Philanthropy Forum and other activities organized by CPAFFC. He introduced the projects carried out by CPAFFC under the framework of “One Belt One Road” Initiative, and expressed the wishes to conduct more tangible cooperation with Mercy Corps in the fields of international disaster relief, promoting the health of women and children etc. Mr. Keny-Guyer briefed Mr. Xie about Mercy Corps and its China strategy, expected to further the friendly ties between the two organizations based on friendship and mutual trust. Mr. Ji Yongjun, Deputy Director General of Department of American and Oceania Affairs attended the meeting.

Deputy Director General SHEN Xin of European Department met with Mr. Kurt Karst, President of Federation of German China-Associations (ADCG), on March 8th. Two sides exchanged opinions in-depth about cooperation in the fields of  “2018 Karl Marx Year”, the winter sports, local governments and people-to-people dialogue. Mr. LYU Hongwei, Deputy Director General of European Department, Mr. Jürgen Eberbach and Mr. Felix Kurz, Vice- presidents of ADCG and attended the meeting. 

On March 3, CPAFFC Vice President Song Jingwu met with Mr. Amyn Ahamed and Mr. Fayyaz Nurmohamed, directors of Aga Khan Foundation. Vice President Song Jingwu spoke highly of the Foundation’s constant contribution to enhancing cultural and educational exchanges between nations and regions, and introduced the “Belt and Road Summit” soon to be held in China. Vice President Song also remarked on future’s cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries. Aga Khan Foundation expressed the wish to cooperate with CPAFFC in areas of education, R&D and cultural exhibition in the future, and to sign a long-term MoU with CPAFFC. Mr. Lv Hongwei, Deputy Director General of CPAFFC European and Asian Department, was present at the meeting.