On Nov.7th, the 1st China-Portuguese Speaking Countries Seminar on Education and Culture, cohosted by CPAFFC and UIBE, was held in Beijing. The Seminar was attended by many officials, scholars, diplomats and entrepreneurs from Portugal, Brazil and Macao and representatives from six universities in China, including H.E. Mr. Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Timor-Leste to PRC, Claudio Puty, former Deputy Secretary of the Brazilian Department of Labor and Social Security and Tomaz Ponce Dentinho, professor from the University of the Azores. CPAFFC Vice-President Hu Sishe and Mr. Wang Chengan, former secretary general of Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (Macao) addressed the opening ceremony.  CPAFFC Vice-President Hu Sishe addressed the Seminar Vice-President Hu Sishe said that China and Portuguese-speaking countries account for 17% of the global economy and 22% of the world’s population. He hopes that the Seminar can become a platform for people to exchange their ideas, a base for schools to share their resources and a window for cultural exchanges between our two sides. The CPAFFC will as always endeavor to promote exchanges in culture and education so as to create more opportunities for mutual learning and cooperation in a wide range of areas such as the cooperation at the local level.  The Opening Ceremony  Former Secretary General Wang Chengan said that UIBE has had frequent academic exchanges with over 30 universities and institutions abroad and sent students both undergraduate and postgraduate abroad for further study or short-term exchanges. He hopes that the Seminar can help advance exchanges in areas such as culture and education between our two sides.   Tomaz Ponce Dentinho, head of the Portuguese-Speaking Countries Delegation, said that the two sides should further strengthen efforts in faculty training and exchanges among students.  Xinhua News Agency, China Today and China Radio International covered this event. When the Seminar concluded, the delegation also paid visits to Communication University of China, Beijing International Studies University and Chinese entrepreneurs.  Visit Communication University of China Visit Beijing International Studies University  Discussion with Chinese Entrepreneurs 

In the morning of November 7th, Mr. Hu Sishe, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mr. Jeffrey Thomason, CEO of the Association of Accountants and Financial Professions in Business and his delegation in CPAFFC. The both sides exchanged views on how to promote the cooperation of accountants and financial professions of the two countries and also other sides. 

Co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), China-Japan Friendship Association (CJFA), the People’s Government of Hunan Province (PGHP) and Japan-China Friendship Association (JCFA), and organized by Hunan People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (HPAFFC), the fifteenth China-Japan Friendly Exchange Conference was held in Changsha, Hunan Province on November 7th. More than 230 people including Mr. Tang Jiaxuan, President of CJFA, Mr. Xu Dazhe, Acting Governor of Hunan Province, Mr. Xiang Lili, Vice Governor of Hunan Province, Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. UICHIRO NIWA, President of JCFA, Mr. TETSUO SAKAI and Mr. TOKUICHIRO UTSUNOMIYA Vice Presidents of JCFA and representatives from nongovernmental organizations of the two countries and local associations for friendship with foreign countries, attended the conference. President Tang Jiaxuan stressed in his speech at the opening ceremony that the curren t cause of China-Japan friendship is not only the extension of the two thousand years history of the friendly exchanges between the two countries, but also relates to the happiness of the generations to come. Therefore, the two countries should overcome difficulties and firmly promote the bilateral relations with confidence. Whatever the situation is, the two countries could not forget the original purpose of friendship, could not abandon the idea of friendship and lay down the flag of friendship. President Tang Jiaxuan said that people-to-people friendship is always the unique advantage and important support for China- Japan relations. Every time the bilateral ties confront with difficulties, the non-governmental friendship organizations of the two countries always adhere to the original purpose and promote and protect the general situation of the friendly relations of the two countries. Next year will mark the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties and the year next, the 40th anniversary of the conclusion of treaty of peace and friendship between China and Japan, which is a rare historical opportunity for improving the bilateral relations. The nongovernmental organizations of the two countries should actively take this opportunity and make a plan as soon as possible to further strengthen the people-to-people friendly exchanges of the two countries and make new efforts to develop a better future for China and Japan relations.   Acting Governor Xu Dazhe said that Hunan province has always kept frequent exchanges and close cooperation with Japan in the history. Since 1982, Hunan province has successively established friendship provinces/prefectures relationship with Hiroshima prefecture and Tokushima prefecture. 11 pairs of friendship cities were established. Hunan province will take this conference as an opportunity to further deepen the friendly exchange and economic and trade cooperation of both sides. It strives to promote mutual understanding, build mutual trust and develop friendship during the exchange and cooperation. President UICHIRO NIWA said that, as the second and third largest economic entities in the world, Japan and China keep a good relationship and strengthen the cooperation, which are not only beneficial to the development of the two countries, but also are beneficial to the peace and stability of Asia and the world. At present, it is worried that the feelings of the two peoples have not been improved even if the bilateral relations get better. Both sides should review the original purpose of keeping friendly relations which produced in the period of signing four political documents and should take the 45th anniversary of the normalization of China and Japan diplomatic relations as an opportunity to greatly develop the exchanges between the two peoples and the locals, and to enhance the public mutual trust and friendship, so as to lay a solid foundation for the long-term sustainable development of the bilateral ties.     As the representatives of the two organizations hosting the conference, CPAFFC Vice President Song Jingwu and JCFA Vice-President TOKUICHIRO UTSUNOMIYA respectively made reports on the theme of inheriting the tradition of the friendship, inspiring the vitality of the people. They summarized the results had achieved in the nongovernmental exchanges of both sides since the fourteenth Osaka Conference. The representatives from the two countries held friendly and exciting discussions in their own group meetings on the topics of how to enhance the mutual trust and friendship of the two peoples, expand the youth exchange and strengthen the local pragmatic cooperation and etc. They also held an in-depth discussion on how to make the friendly development plan of the non-governmental organizations China-Japan friendly exchange conference was founded in 1983. It was a working conference for the two non-governmental friendly organizations which was commonly initiated and held by Mr. Liao Chengzhi, then the CJFA President and Mr. TOKUMA UTSUNOMIYA,then the JCFA President. This conference aims at strengthening the friendly cooperation of the two countries, commonly discussing the new issues of the bilateral relations and creating a new prospect of the nongovernmental exchanges between China and Japan. The conference is held in two countries every other year in turn.

On Nov. 7th, Vice President Xie Yuan met with Ms. Cindy Termorshuize, Chargé d’Affaires of Canadian Embassy to China. Vice President Xie Yuan welcomed Ms. Cindy Termorshuizen to our association. He introduced the feedback of our visit to Canada in mid October, including the progress of China Canada Provincial Leaders’ Exchange Mechanism and the preparation of 5th China Canada Cultural Dialogue in 2017. Chargé d’Affaires Cindy expressed her appreciation towards the contribution CPAFFC has made on promoting the local government and people-to-people exchanges between Canada and China. She said that the embassy would continue its communication with Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to further promote and support the above-mentioned programs. Deputy Director General Hao Zhongwei and Associate Counsel Xu Fenghua of Department of American and Oceanian Affairs presented at the meeting.

   Co-hosted by Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in China, the reception for celebrating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Republic of Rwanda was held in Beijing on November 4th. Around 300 guests attended the reception including Mr. Wang Zhengwei, Vice-Chairman of National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Mme. Zhang Qiujian, Deputy Secretary-General of CPPCC, Mr. Louise Mushikiwabo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Rwanda, Mr. Charles R. Kayonga, ambassador of the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in China. CPAFFC Vice President Lin Yi and Rwanda Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo delivered speeches respectively. Before the reception, Wang Zhengwei met with Louise Mushikiwabo. Wang Zhengwei said that China-Rwanda relations have achieved great development and the two countries’ pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful result over the past 45 years since the establishment of their bilateral relations. Taking the implement of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation as an opportunity, the Chinese side is willing to make efforts together with the Rwanda side to achieve results as soon as possible, so as to have the two peoples benefited from the results of the Summit. Louise Mushikiwabo said that Rwanda government attaches high importance to China-Rwanda friendship. The two countries increasingly strengthen the political mutual trust and further deepen the cooperation in various fields. China and Rwanda have a common development prospect and a huge cooperative potential. The bilateral relations will step into a new stage of the development.

On November 4, 2016, Release Ceremony of the Arabic Translations of the Chinese Classical Works and High-End Seminar on Culture Image in Translation was held by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) in cooperation with the the Publishing Group of Beijing Normal University (PGBNU) and Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) at BFSU. Mrs. Luan Yutao, Deputy Director General of the Asian and African Department of the CPAFFC attended and addressed the event. Supported by the Silk Road Project sponsored by the State Press and Publication Administration and published by PGBNU, the Arabic Translations of the Chinese Classical Works select classic works of the most influential Chinese Confucianist and Taoist and present to overseas readers the essence of their thoughts from different dimensions. This set of books crystalizes a decade’s hard work of Mr. Mohsen Fergani Abdelbaki, a well-known Egyptian sinologist, as well as the winner of both the "Chinese Arab Friendship Outstanding Contribution Award" and “China Book Special Contribution Award”. Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, CCTV and other media reported this event.

On November 3, CPAFFC Vice President Lin Yi met with Mr. Mohsen Fergani Abdelbaki, Egyptian translator as well as one of the winners of "Chinese Arab Friendship Outstanding Contribution Award". Vice President Lin welcomed the visit of Mr. Fergani and congratulated him on the release of his newly published the Arabic Translations of the Chinese Classical Works. Lin said that the CPAFFC is willing to cooperate with Mr. Fergani and other scholars and experts who are keenly interested in Chinese culture, to carry out cultural and academic exchanges between China and Egypt. Mr. Fergani thanked the CPAFFC for inviting him for this visit, and hoped to strengthen his cooperation with the CPAFFC. He also extended an invitation to Madam Lin to visit Egypt. Counselor Moataz Anwar Mostafa of the Egyptian Embassy in China and Deputy Director General Sun Xueqing of the Asian and African Department of the CPAFFC were also present at the meeting.

On October 31st, Vice President Xie Yuan met with Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) leadership delegation. VP Xie sent his warm welcome to the delegation. He said China and U.S. are enjoying the best time of bilateral relation and huge cooperative potential in different areas including education are lying ahead. During the past 62 years, aiming at enhancing more people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, CPAFFC has played a vital role in promoting sub-national cooperation. He hopes the delegation could seize the opportunity, conduct more exchanges and facilitate more pragmatic cooperation in education between China and U.S.. Dolores Bradley, head of the delegation, expressed her honor and privilege to visit China. She introduced that all members of the delegation represent different schools, but they have a common goal which is to build up connection and enhance the cooperation with universities in China and promote student exchanges. 

On October 30th, Mme. Lin Yi, Vice President of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), attended the reception for welcoming Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel visiting China in Belgian Embassy in China. At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel visited China. It is on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Belgium. Mr. Liu Haixing, Assistant Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Mr. Qu Xing, Ambassador of Chinese Embassy in Belgium, attended the welcoming reception.

2016 Nanjing World Historical & Cultural Cities Exposition and International Forum on Cultural Inheritance and Innovation organized by CPAFFC, Nanjing Municipal Government and UNESCO were successfully held in Nanjing from Oct.23 to 29. Mayors, experts, scholars and diplomatic envoys from over 20 countries attended the relevant activities. Mr. Hu Sishe, vice president of CPAFFC delivered speeches at a series of activities. In the evening of October 23, the opening ceremony of the Exposition was held at Zhonghua Gate. The ceremony combines cultural heritage and new technology perfectly in the ways of fashion show, immersive theater and 3D lighting. On October 24, the Forum of Mayors of World Historical and Cultural Cities was held in Nanjing Museum. Tens of mayors or representatives from both home and abroad participated and exchanged views at the forum under the theme of “sustainable development of historical and cultural cities”. Mr. Hu Sishe delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. Mr Hu Sishe at the Expo On October 25, “Shared Memory, Everlasting Friendship: Exhibition of Historical Photos of FAU and UNRRA’s Aid to China” was held in Nanjing Aviation Memorial Hall. Mr. Hu said that Nanjing is a city closely connected with the international community during the Second World War. Also, it suffered the severest invasion and the most appalling Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese Army. The history of the international organizations and friends’ aid to China in the anti-fascist war has become a valuable part of world cultural heritage. After the ceremony, Mr. David Brough, the offspring of FAU and planner of the exhibition gave the audience a detailed introduction of the pictures.  Opening Ceremony of Exhibition of Historical Photos Of FAU and UNRRA’s Aid to China On October 26, the first International Forum on Cultural Inheritance and Innovation was held in Nanjing Grand Hotel. 49 guests were present including Mr. Hu Sishe, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Orevba, Charge d’affaires of Nigeria embassy in China, Mr. Liu Hongjian, Deputy Party Secretary of Nanjing University, Mrs. Su Yuhong, Director of Nanjing Foreign Affairs Office, Mr. Peter Stone, UNESCO Chair in Cultural Property Protection and Peace, and Mr. Tian Qing, Director of China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association.          Mr. Hu Sishe at the Forum The forum takes “protection and innovation of cultural heritage” as its theme. Mr. Hu said in his speech, “development can’t do without inheritance. However, without innovation, pure inheritance won’t help the culture make progress. That is justified in the five thousand years’ history of China. Since Reform and Opening up, the ancient Chinese traditional Culture rejuvenated owing to the spirit of innovation. CPAFFC would like to take the opportunity of Nanjing Expo to build a platform for exchanges and experience sharing together with Nanjing Municipal Government, Nanjing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Nanjing University. He encouraged the experts and scholars to make new contribution to the common development of world culture. Professor Peter Stone introduced in his keynote speech the seven threats facing world intangible cultural heritage and the efforts made by Blue Shield Organization in reducing war destruction to the cultural heritage. Professor Tian Qing explained the great role intangible cultural heritage could play in poverty alleviation. After the keynote speeches, the guests made an in-depth discussion taking the topics of “Different ways of cultural inheritance and innovation”, “Cultural inheritance and self-confidence”, and “Practice of cultural inheritance in China”.  The Guests at the Forum The Exhibition of the Selected Chinese Folk Arts was held during the forum under the organization of CPAFFC and the Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage of Nanjing University. The ingenious exhibits with vivid images won appraise from the experts and diplomatic envoys. It also laid foundation for the future international tournament.     Diplomatic Envoys with the Folk Artist After the forum, the experts and diplomatic envoys paid visits to Nanjing Museum, Brocade Museum, Nanjing Massacre Museum and other historical relics to better appreciate its unique and profound culture and history. 2016 Nanjing Expo also includes many other activities like  Forum of Media Cooperation, “Charm of Nanjing” Art Exhibition, “Light of Silk” Jewellery Exhibition, Silk-road Photography Exhibition and so on. Nanjing Yunjin Brocade Fashion Show at the Opening Ceremony