On January 29, 2026, President Yang Wanming attended a luncheon meeting at the Embassy of Viet Nam in China at the invitation of Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh.President Yang warmly congratulated Viet Nam on the successful convening of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam. He expressed confidence that, under the leadership of the new Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam headed by General Secretary To Lam, the Communist Party of Viet Nam will lead the Vietnamese people in successfully accomplishing the goals and tasks set by the Congress and promote new and greater achievements in the cause of the Party and the country. General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary To Lam spoke by phone at the earliest opportunity after the Congress, fully demonstrating the special importance of relations between the two Parties and the two countries.President Yang noted that this year marks the first year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan and Viet Nam's new era of national development. The CPAFFC is ready to continue close cooperation with the Vietnamese Embassy in China, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, sub-national governments, and other sectors in Viet Nam, implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two Parties and the two countries, build more bridges for people-to-people friendship, practical cooperation, cultural exchanges, and youth friendship, and make concerted efforts to successfully organize flagship activities including the "red study tour" to China for Vietnamese youth, the China-Vietnam Border People’s Grand Celebration, and the China-Vietnam People's Forum. These efforts will broadly bring together people-to-people forces of the two countries and promote deeper and more substantive progress in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.Pham Thanh Binh thanked President Yang for his warm congratulations on the successful convening of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and briefed him on its main outcomes. He said that the phone conversation between the General Secretaries of the two Parties after the Congress defined, from a strategic perspective, the direction for the development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries, greatly inspiring all sectors in Viet Nam and China. The Vietnamese Embassy in China is ready to maintain close cooperation with the CPAFFC, take the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two Parties and the two countries as fundamental guidance, follow the overall goal of the 'six mores', i.e., greater political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper mutually beneficial cooperation, stronger popular support, closer multilateral coordination and better handling of differences, promote stronger exchanges and cooperation between the two countries across all fields and at all levels, enhance mutual affinity and connectivity between the two peoples, and help bilateral relations reach new heights.Zhu Dan, Director-General of the Department of East Asian Affairs of the CPAFFC, accompanied President Yang at the event.

On the evening of January 28, 2026, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) held its 2026 New Year Gathering for International Friends in China. The CPAFFC compound was decorated with lanterns and filled with festive cheer. Nearly 120 international guests from 45 countries joined Chinese representatives to celebrate the Year of the Horse and reaffirm enduring people-to-people ties.President Yang Wanming delivered a welcoming speech, greeting old and new friends gathered at the CPAFFC to celebrate friendship and reaffirm enduring people-to-people ties. He noted that international friends, as a special group that bridges cultures and connects China with the rest of the world, have over the years made valuable contributions to China's revolution, development, and reform, while serving as an important bridge in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people of other countries and promoting exchanges and cooperation in various fields. In recent years, President Xi Jinping has on many occasions replied to letters from, and sent messages to international friends, expressing his profound commitment to and earnest expectations for the cause of people-to-people friendship. President Yang said that the gathering at the CPAFFC was intended not only to pay tribute to history, but also to look to the future. He expressed the hope that everyone would work together to become inheritors of historical memory, practitioners of people-to-people friendship, and sowers of hope for the future, and make unremitting efforts to strengthen mutual understanding and affinity between the Chinese people and peoples of other countries and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.During the event, foreign guests watched with great interest performances of traditional Chinese arts, including northern Shaanxi storytelling, traditional Chinese folk magic, and diabolo. They also sampled traditional Beijing crispy candy, pastries, candied hawthorn skewers, and other specialty snacks prepared on site, experiencing firsthand the unique charm of Chinese culture. Canadian performing artist Mark Rowswell, American professor Mark Levine, and relatives of several international friends also gave impromptu performances, including poetry recitations, guitar-accompanied songs, and Chinese song choruses, winning warm applause from both Chinese and foreign guests.Michael Crook, son of international friends David and Isabel Crook and Chair of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives, said the event was warm, friendly, and deeply moving. He thanked the CPAFFC for providing opportunities for communication and exchange among international friends, noting that he had met several new friends within just a few minutes at the event. He said that the reception, together with the honor he received last September when he accepted, on behalf of his parents, the commemorative medal marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, fully demonstrated that China always remembers the positive contributions made by international friends and reflects its deep affection for old friends who stood together with the Chinese people through thick and thin. As a descendant of international friends, he said he would carry forward the legacy of the older generation, devote himself to people-to-people friendship between China and other countries, and ensure that the spirit of internationalism is passed down from generation to generation.Jamshid Suleymanov, Chief Representative in China of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, said he was greatly honored to attend the Spring Festival reception hosted by the CPAFFC. He said the event was warm and splendid, allowing him to experience the profound charm and contemporary vitality of Chinese culture in a festive Chinese New Year atmosphere. He remarked that the northern Shaanxi storytelling performance Black Myth: Wukong seemed to perfectly combine modern Chinese-style aesthetics with traditional storytelling art, creating something both familiar and refreshing. The diabolo performance was equally astonishing, vividly showcasing the essence of traditional folk art. Throughout the evening, tradition and modernity complemented each other, appealing to a wide audience. The performances embodied rich cultural heritage while brimming with the vitality of contemporary innovation, allowing guests to feel the enduring and ever-renewing vitality of Chinese culture. He thanked the CPAFFC for carefully organizing such a high-quality and heartwarming Spring Festival cultural celebration.Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy, Secretary-General of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU), said she was delighted to attend the Spring Festival reception at the invitation of the CPAFFC. The event was warm and friendly, bringing together friends from many countries to celebrate the Spring Festival. She sincerely thanked the organizers for their gracious invitation and thoughtful arrangements, and said she was pleased to reunite with old friends and meet new ones from around the world. Although she had previously attended many CPAFFC events, this was the first time she had celebrated the Spring Festival together with both Chinese and international friends. As this year is the Year of the Horse, and she was born in the Year of the Horse, the occasion held special significance for her. She noted that every time she participates in CPAFFC activities, she can genuinely feel the organization's sincerity in "building friendships with sincerity and touching people with genuine feeling", and said she looked forward to continuing to deepen people-to-people friendship and renew cherished bonds in the future.This event marked the first New Year reception organized by the CPAFFC specifically for the community of international friends in Beijing. The foreign guests included relatives of veteran international friends, as well as foreign diplomats in China and representatives from international organizations, chambers of commerce and industries, friendship organizations, media outlets, think tanks, and youth communities. All CPAFFC leaders based in Beijing attended the event, together with Wang Yu, Secretary of the Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries’ Leading Party Members Group， representatives from the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, China Media Group, China International Communications Group, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beihang University, and the Foreign Affairs Office of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region; as well as representatives from media organizations including People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and China Daily.

On January 27, 2026, President Yang Wanming met with Ro Jae Hun, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to China, at CPAFFC. The two sides exchanged views on China-ROK relations and people-to-people friendship between the two countries.President Yang extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Ro Jae Hun back to the CPAFFC and noted that China and the ROK are close neighbors that cannot be moved away and inseparable partners. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, exchanges and cooperation in various fields have yielded fruitful results. President Xi Jinping and President Lee Jae-myung exchanged visits and held talks within just over two months, mapping out a new blueprint for the next stage of China-ROK relations. The CPAFFC is ready to continue working with the ROK Embassy in China and friendly organizations in the ROK to actively implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen cooperation in various fields, build more bridges for people-to-people friendship, practical cooperation, cultural exchanges, and youth friendship, enhance people-to-people connectivity, and strengthen the social and public foundation of bilateral relations.Ambassador Ro Jae Hun highly commended the CPAFFC's positive contributions to enhancing friendship between the two peoples and promoting practical cooperation. He said that the industrial and supply chains of the ROK and China are deeply intertwined and that there is enormous potential for cooperation. The ROK Embassy in China is ready to strengthen cooperation with the CPAFFC, jointly implement the outcomes for the visits of the two heads of state, deepen exchanges between the two sides in sub-national, youth, think tank, cultural, and people-to-people fields, promote more cooperation outcomes in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, green industries, and bio-medicine, and consolidate the momentum of the full recovery and development of ROK-China relations.Zhu Dan, Director-General of the Department of East Asian Affairs of the CPAFFC, was present at the meeting.

On January 26, 2026, President Yang Wanming met with Carlos Vasquez, newly appointed Peruvian Ambassador to China, at CPAFFC. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on strengthening China-Peru relations and people-to-people friendship between the two countries.President Yang congratulated Ambassador Carlos Vasquez on assuming office and noted that Peru is among the first Latin American countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and to sign a package of free trade agreements with China. In recent years, with the joint efforts of the two sides, political mutual trust between China and Peru has been continuously consolidated, practical cooperation in various fields has flourished, and people-to-people friendship has taken deep root. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Peru. The CPAFFC is ready to take this opportunity to strengthen cooperation with the Peruvian Embassy in China and friends from all sectors of Peruvian society in people-to-people exchanges, sub-national cooperation, cultural exchanges, and youth friendship, so as to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and help elevate the China-Peru comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights.Ambassador Carlos Vasquez said that Peru is actively implementing the Joint Action Plan between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Peru for 2024 - 2029, and has always made deepening friendship between the two peoples a diplomatic priority. The Peruvian Embassy in China highly appreciates the CPAFFC's positive contributions to enhancing friendship between the two peoples, regards the CPAFFC as a key partner of the Embassy, and is ready to further strengthen communication and cooperation, jointly organize activities that promote mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples, and make new contributions to Peru-China people-to-people friendship.Sun Tao, Director-General of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs of the CPAFFC, and Deng Lan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs of the CPAFFC, were present at the meeting.

On January 15, 2026, President Yang Wanming met with Norbert Lammert, Honorary Chairman of Germany's Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and former President of the Bundestag, at CPAFFC. The two sides exchanged views on strengthening people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between China and Germany.President Yang extended a warm welcome to Norbert Lammert on his visit to China and noted that China-Germany relations have maintained steady development over the 54 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. The two countries have maintained frequent high-level exchanges and close communication. In May last year, President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, charting the course for the next stage of bilateral relations. China and Germany are comprehensive strategic partners. The two sides should stay on the right path of mutual respect, equality, seeking common ground while setting aside differences, as well as mutual benefit and win-win cooperation; strengthen exchanges;，deepen cooperation，jointly advocate and practice true multilateralism, and make positive contributions to world peace, stability, and development. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee deliberated and adopted recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan, which will open up broader space for practical cooperation between China and Germany. Under the new circumstances, the CPAFFC is ready to continue working with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung on the basis of 47 years of sound cooperation, further enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, and help ensure the steady and sustained development of China-Germany relations.Norbert Lammert thanked the CPAFFC for its valuable support over the years for the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung's cooperation with China. He said Germany attaches importance to developing relations with China and supports the two countries in deepening mutually beneficial cooperation. In today's turbulent and changing world, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter are facing challenges. Germany and China should maintain close communication and coordination and jointly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung is ready to work with the CPAFFC to promote exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields, and in particular to make new contributions to promoting friendly exchanges between young people in Germany and China.Hao Zhongwei, Secretary-General of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Lv Hongwei, Deputy Director-General of the Department of European and Asian Affairs of the CPAFFC, were present at the meeting.

On January 13, 2026, President Yang Wanming met with Eli Belotsercovsky, newly appointed Israeli Ambassador to China, at CPAFFC. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on strengthening China-Israel relations and people-to-people friendship between the two countries.President Yang congratulated Ambassador Eliav Belotsercovsky on assuming office and extended a warm welcome to his visit to the CPAFFC. He noted that over the 34 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Israel relations have withstood changes in the international landscape and maintained sound and steady development, bringing benefits to the two peoples. The CPAFFC attaches importance to promoting people-to-people friendship and cooperation between China and Israel, and is ready to work closely with the Israeli Embassy in China and friends from all sectors of Israeli society to promote exchanges between the two countries in people-to-people and sub-national fields, enhance mutual understanding and affinity between the Chinese and Israeli peoples, and make new contributions to the development of the China-Israel innovative comprehensive partnership.Ambassador Eliav Belotsercovsky said that the Chinese nation and the Jewish people both have long histories and splendid civilizations, and that the two sides have long enjoyed friendly relations. He highly commended Israel-China relations and thanked the CPAFFC for its positive contributions to promoting friendship between the peoples of Israel and China. The Israeli Embassy in China is ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the CPAFFC, carry out innovative people-to-people friendship activities, jointly promote friendly exchanges between the two peoples, and deepen Israel-China friendship.Liu Fang, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Asian and African Affairs of the CPAFFC, was present at the meeting.

On January 13, 2026, President Yang Wanming met with Jawad Awad, newly appointed Palestinian Ambassador to China, at CPAFFC. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on strengthening China-Palestine relations and people-to-people friendship between the two countries.President Yang congratulated Ambassador Jawad Awad on assuming office and said that China and Palestine enjoy a profound traditional friendship. In recent years, China-Palestine friendship and cooperation have maintained steady and sound development. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights, and will continue to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts for an early comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue. Not long ago, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was held in Beijing, setting out a grand blueprint for China's development over the next five years and bringing new opportunities for deepening China-Palestine exchanges and cooperation. The CPAFFC is ready to work closely with the Palestinian side to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in various fields, carry forward the traditional friendship between China and Palestine, and better benefit the two peoples.Ambassador Jawad Awad highly commended President Xi Jinping's congratulatory message on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and China's position on the Palestinian issue. He thanked the CPAFFC for holding commemorative events for the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People for many years in a row. He said Palestine attaches great importance to developing relations with China, firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and supports the four major global initiatives—the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative as well as the Belt and Road Initiative—proposed by President Xi Jinping. Palestine is ready to continue strengthening cooperation with the CPAFFC, actively participate in and support the CPAFFC's people-to-people friendship activities between Palestine and China, and contribute to enriching and developing the China-Palestine strategic partnership.Liu Fang, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Asian and African Affairs of the CPAFFC, was present at the meeting.

On January 9, 2026, President Yang Wanming met with Milad Raad, newly appointed Lebanese Ambassador to China, at CPAFFC. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on strengthening China-Lebanon relations and people-to-people friendship between the two countries.President Yang extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Milad Raad to the CPAFFC and noted that China and Lebanon enjoy a traditional friendship. Over the 55 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral relations have developed steadily under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, with political mutual trust continuously enhanced, friendship between the two peoples deepened, and cooperation in various fields advanced. The CPAFFC attaches great importance to developing people-to-people friendship and cooperation between China and Lebanon. The CPAFFC is ready to work closely with the Lebanese Embassy in China and friends from all sectors of Lebanese society, and to take the 70th anniversary in 2026 of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Arab countries as an opportunity to strengthen China-Lebanon exchanges and cooperation in culture, tourism, sub-national affairs, and youth exchanges, and make new contributions to building a closer China-Arab community with a shared future.Ambassador Milad Raad said that Lebanon attaches great importance to developing relations with China, and that people-to-people friendship between Lebanon and China enjoys broad public support. Dr. Shafick George Hatem and the Confucius Institute at Saint Joseph University are both symbols of Lebanon-China friendship. The Lebanese Embassy in China highly appreciates the important role that CPAFFC has played over the years in promoting friendship between the peoples of Lebanon and China, and is ready to actively participate in and support various activities organized by CPAFFC, and contribute further to Lebanon-China and Arab-China friendship.Liu Fang, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Asian and African Affairs of the CPAFFC, and Mansour Chaya, Deputy Head of Mission of the Lebanese Embassy in China, were present at the meeting.

On December 30, 2025, President Yang Wanming met with Majintha Jayesinghe, Sri Lankan Ambassador to China, at CPAFFC. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on strengthening China-Sri Lanka relations and people-to-people friendship between the two countries.President Yang warmly welcomed Ambassador Majintha Jayesinghe to the CPAFFC and extended sincere sympathies to Sri Lanka over the severe floods it had suffered. President Yang noted that China-Sri Lanka friendship has a long history. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1957, the two countries have stood together and moved forward hand in hand, setting an example of equality and friendship between countries of different sizes. Since the beginning of this year, President Anura Disanayaka and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya have visited China or attended events in China. President Xi Jinping reached important consensus with them on deepening the China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership and jointly building a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future, providing new strategic guidance for the development of China-Sri Lanka relations. The CPAFFC is ready to work with the Sri Lankan Embassy in China to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in parliamentary, sub-national, people-to-people, and youth exchanges, and advance the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries featuring sincere mutual assistance and enduring friendship.Ambassador Majintha Jayesinghe said that Sri Lanka and China are good friends who stand together in times of difficulty, and that the steady development of bilateral relations helps strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two peoples. Sri Lanka firmly upholds the one-China principle. He congratulated President Yang on his successful visit to Sri Lanka and thanked CPAFFC for the support for Sri Lanka's flood control and disaster relief efforts. The Sri Lankan Embassy in China highly appreciates the important role that CPAFFC has played over the years in enhancing friendship between the peoples of Sri Lanka and China, and is ready to work closely with CPAFFC to consolidate traditional friendship, deepen friendly exchanges in various fields, and promote deeper and more substantive progress in building a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future.Liu Fang and Xu Yan, Deputy Directors-General of the Department of Asian and African Affairs of CPAFFC, and Niranga Nalin Palipana and Sumudu Wilpatha, counsellors of the Sri Lankan Embassy in China, were present at the meeting.

On December 30, 2025, President Yang Wanming met with representatives of international friends in Beijing at CPAFFC. The attendees included Michael Crook, Chair of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives; Ravi Sarma from Singapore; Mark Rowswell from Canada; and Mark Levine, a foreign professor at Minzu University of China and others.President Yang extended a warm welcome to the attendees and extended New Year greetings to them. He noted that generations of international friends have long been actively involved in China's revolution, development, and reform, serving as an important bridge in promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people around the world, as well as exchanges and cooperation in various fields. He expressed the hope that the international friends would draw on their experiences in China and their respective strength to tell China's stories of the new era to the world, contribute to further deepening exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries, and help build a community with a shared future for mankind.The attendees thanked the CPAFFC for the longstanding care and support for the international friends community. They shared their personal stories of engagement with China and expressed that, despite differences in social systems, history, and culture among countries, the Chinese people and people of other countries share broad common values and aspirations. They noted that China's development philosophy and experience in recent years are worthy of learning by the world. Looking ahead, they said they would continue to strengthen cooperation with the CPAFFC and help the world better know and understand China through people-to-people exchanges.Vice President Shen Xin was present at the meeting.