CPAFFC Representatives Attend the 28th Eurasian Economic Summit in Türkiye
From May 7 to 8, the 28th Eurasian Economic Summit, hosted by the Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation, was held in Istanbul, Türkiye.This summit was?themed on?"A More Humane World—Dialogue for a Livable World." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent congratulatory letters?to the event?respectively. The event brought together around 300 political dignitaries, experts, scholars, entrepreneurs, and leaders of social organizations from more than?40 countries all over the world.Ji Yongjun, Director-General?of the Department?of Asian and African Affairs at the CPAFFC, led a working group to attend the summit?upon invitation and delivered a speech under the topic of "Resilient Cities."?He shared?China's practical experiences in building resilient cities, taking?the?Xiongan New Area and Shanghai as examples, and in boosting?subnational?cooperation between China and foreign countries with international sister cities as a bridge.Founded by the Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation, the Eurasian Economic Summit serves as an?international platform for high-level exchanges. Its primary objectives are to study and discuss hotspot?issues and common?challenges in?the realms of development, security, and economy?that confront Eurasian countries, and to advance international cooperation?and exchanges. This annual gathering has been convened for 28 consecutive years.
Vice President Yuan Mindao Meets with the Korea-China Friendship Association Delegation
On May 13, 2025, Vice President Yuan Mindao of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met with a delegation organized by?the Korea-China Friendship Association, led by Honorary President Seo Eui-taek?and President Shin Jung-taek. The two sides held discussions on enhancing bilateral cooperation and promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and South Korea.Zhang Xiaoping, Deputy Director-General?of the Department of East Asian Affairs of the CPAFFC, was present at the meeting.
"Calligraphing Friendship and Building Peace Together" China-Japan-South Korea Calligraphy Masters Friendship Event Successfully Held in Beijing
On May 13, 2025, the "Calligraphing Friendship and Building Peace Together" China-Japan-South Korea Calligraphy Masters Friendship Event was held in Beijing. The event was co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the China National Academy of Painting?(CNAP), the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, and the Korea-China?Cultural Exchange Council.?CPAFFC Vice President Yuan Mindao; Wang Qingyun, Deputy Party Secretary of the CNAP; Hoshido Seiji, President of the Japan Calligraphy Institute; and Kim Yong-gi, President of the South Korea?Calligraphy Association, attended?and addressed?the event. Other participants included Xie Xiaoquan, Deputy Director of the Calligraphy and Seal Engraving Institute?of the CNAP; renowned Chinese calligraphers Wei Guangjun, Cai Dali, Tang Chaoyi, Zhao Jifang, and Mei Yuehui; Tsujimoto Daikun, Vice President of the All Japan Calligraphy Alliance; Nakano Akira, Executive Director of the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association; and acclaimed Japanese calligraphers Yamauchi Kaori, Hirose Yūyuki, and Kobayashi Chihaya; Jung Do-jun, President of the Korean International Calligraphers Association; Vice President Jung Woong-pyo; and celebrated Korean calligraphers Son Chang-rok, Kim Jong-kyun, and Choi Jae-sik participated in the calligraphy exchange.(Group photo of the main guests from China, Japan, and South Korea)Vice President Yuan Mindao noted that the "China-Japan-South Korea?Calligraphy Masters Friendship Event"?was first initiated by CPAFFC in 2020 and has since been held three times online. This year marks the first in-person gathering of calligraphy?masters from three countries. This?will?inject fresh momentum into deepening mutual understanding and trust, fostering mutual learning among cultures, advancing cultural and artistic exchanges, and strengthening the bonds among the peoples of the three countries.Yuan Mindao further remarked that,?China, Japan, and South Korea are close neighbors with intertwined geographies, cultural ties, and people-to-people connections. The CPAFFC is committed to leveraging the 2025–2026 China-Japan-South Korea Cultural Exchange Year to work collaboratively with all sectors in the three countries. The goal is to implement the important?consensus reached by the three heads of state, deepen people-to-people?exchanges?and cooperation at all fronts, and jointly contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.Wang Qingyun emphasized that,?the event not only paid tribute to the traditional calligraphy art but also reflected a heartfelt aspiration for peace and friendship. It served as a meaningful act of practicing the Eastern philosophy of "valuing harmony."?We hope that this calligraphy gathering would?serve as a new starting point for us to?write?new?chapters of cultural exchange among the three countries, and gather the artistic strength to contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind.Hoshido Seiji commented that,?in today's conflict-ridden world, enhancing mutual understanding and nurturing sincere friendship through exchanges?is more valuable than ever. Japanese calligraphers are ready?to join Chinese and South Korean peers in advancing the calligraphy tradition and deepening cultural ties among the three countries.Kim Yong-gi stated that China, Japan, and South Korea—longstanding neighbors with shared histories and cultures—form a cultural community that jointly upholds the esteemed art of calligraphy. It's?hoped?that this event would be a springboard for further understanding and friendship through art and help expand shared cultural values among the three countries.During the event, calligraphers from China, Japan, and South Korea each showcased their artistry in live demonstrations, using brush and ink to express aspirations for peace and goodwill. Their works symbolized the planting of seeds of friendship. At the conclusion of the event, the calligraphers collaborated to create a joint calligraphy piece titled "Calligraphing Friendship and Building Peace Together" in honor of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.(Group photo of calligraphers and guests from China, Japan, and South Korea?holding the jointly created calligraphy piece)The delegation?of?Japanese and South Korean calligraphers?visited China at the invitation of the CPAFFC. On May 12, Vice President Yuan Mindao hosted a welcome banquet for the delegation at the CPAFFC. During their stay, the delegation also engaged in friendly exchanges with institutions such as the China Calligraphers Association, the Palace Museum, and Rong Bao Zhai.(Vice President Yuan Mindao hosts a welcome banquet for Japanese and South Korean calligraphers)
Vice President Yuan Mindao Attends the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Liberation of the South and National Reunification
From April 28 to May 1, at the invitation of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, Yuan Mindao, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), visited Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, to attend the 50th Anniversary Celebration?of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, and?delivered a speech at?the meeting between Do Van Chien, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee, Member?of the Secretariat?of the CPV Central Committee?and President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, and?representatives from friendship organizations?around the world.Yuan Mindao reviewed the glorious history of the Chinese and Vietnamese peoples fighting side by side and supporting each other in the struggle for national independence and liberation, jointly forging a profound friendship of "comrades plus brothers."?In addition, he said?that during President Xi Jinping's state visit to Viet Nam in April this year, the top leaders of the two parties and two countries drew a new blueprint for continuously deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and accelerating the building of a China-Viet Nam?community with a shared future?that carries strategic significance. The CPAFFC will work with all sectors in Viet Nam to implement the new important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, stay?true to the original aspiration of friendship, keep in mind the common mission, and drive progress toward?a China-Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries?strategic significance. In the meantime, it will work with countries around the world to champion the common values of humanity?and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.Do Van Chien expressed special thanks to China for its support and assistance in Viet Nam's struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as in its current cause?of national reform,?development and defense. He stressed that?the achievements Viet Nam has currently attained fully demonstrate the correctness of the socialist path chosen by its Party, State, and people. In today's world undergoing extraordinarily rapid, complex, and unpredictable changes, the Vietnamese people deeply cherish and consistently uphold the values of peace. They stand ready to work with all countries?to maintain a regional and global?development environment?conducive to peace, friendship, and cooperation.Phan Anh Son, President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, chaired?the event. Representatives from Cuba, the Philippines, the United States, and the World Peace Council spoke successively.During his visit to Viet Nam, Yuan Mindao attended the 50th Anniversary Celebration?of the Liberation of the South?and National Reunification and the welcome dinner hosted by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. He also held talks?with Wei Huaxiang, Consul General of China in Ho Chi Minh City.
Delegation of Iraqi-Chinese Friendship Association Visits China
From April 20 to 28, 2025, at the invitation of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries?(CPAFFC), the?Iraqi-Chinese Friendship Association?organized a delegation of six young influencers in the fields of culture, art, tourism, and cuisine to visit China. The delegation visited Beijing, Changsha and Zhangjiajie?in Hunan Province, and Guangzhou and Foshan?in Guangdong Province.Xu Yan, Deputy Director-General of the Department?of Asian and African Affairs at the CPAFFC;?Wang Liwen, Vice President of the Hunan People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (HPAFFC); Liu Ren, Secretary-General of the Guangdong People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries?(GPAFFC); and Su Huiyi, Deputy Director of the Foshan Foreign Affairs Bureau, met with the delegation respectively.During their stay in China, the delegation visited Beijing Sport University, the Yuelu Academy of Hunan University, the International Channel of Hunan Broadcasting System, the First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, and Guangzhou Automobile Group. They also interacted and exchanged ideas with Cantonese cuisine chefs and renowned?sculptors. Delegation members maintained a steady stream of video and text posts during their tour, eliciting favorable responses across Iraqi social media platforms.China Global Television Network?(CGTN)?Arabic Channel, Hunan Broadcasting System International Channel and Economic Channel, Zhangjiajie Converged Media Center, and Nanfang Media Group's GDToday, among other media, accompanied the delegation for interviews and reports.
2025 China-Spain Mayors' Dialogue Held in Chongqing
On April 25, 2025, the 2025 China-Spain Mayors'?Dialogue?was held in Chongqing, hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries?(CPAFFC)?and the Fundación Cátedra China?(China Chair Foundation), and organized by the Chongqing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries?(CQPAFFC).?The theme of the dialogue was "Sharing?Wisdom in Governance to Jointly Build Resilient Cities." Hu Henghua, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Chongqing; Jiang Jiang, Vice President of the CPAFFC; and Gerardo Pisarello, First Secretary of the Spanish Congress of Deputies and former Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Eleven leaders from?cities, prefectures, counties and districts in six provinces and municipalities including Jiangsu, Guangdong, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Gansu, as well as 12 mayors and 3 parliamentarians from six autonomous communities in Spain, including Andalusia, Asturias, Castile–La Mancha, Catalonia, Navarra?and the Basque Country, attended the meeting.In his address, Jiang Jiang emphasized the significant role of cities in international exchanges, noting that city-to-city cooperation constitutes a vital component of state-to-state relations.?For a long time, local government cooperation between China and Spain has flourished, bringing tangible benefits to the people of the two countries. The CPAFFC highly values subnational?exchanges and pragmatic?cooperation with Spain. It?will follow the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries on China-Spain relations, working to build a strong and well-connected bridge of friendship and cooperation between the cities of our two countries. The CPAFFC stands ready to collaborate?with the Spanish side to make openness a new driving force, green a new defining feature and innovation a new engine for China-Spain urban cooperation, thereby jointly?forging a new future-oriented landscape of urban cooperation.Gerardo Pisarello expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for organizing this dialogue. He noted that in today's world?marked by conflicts and uncertainties, China remains committed to addressing global development challenges through dialogue and steadfastly upholds multilateralism.?Against this backdrop, it is all the more important that?Spain and China strengthen dialogue, enhance mutual understanding, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation?in?the spirit of mutual respect.?This dialogue represents a significant event convened in line with the important consensus between our two nations'?leaders.?He hoped?this dialogue would?initiate a new phase of subnational exchanges?between the two countries and produce substantial results in Spain-China friendship and cooperation.Following?the opening ceremony, representatives from Chinese and Spanish cities engaged in in-depth discussions on three topics: "Build together a new green ecology for cities and towns,"?"Decipher the new keys to grassroots governance"?and "Create a new paradigm of mutual benefit between sister cities"?They?introduced respective development conditions?and governance experiences and jointly explored cooperation opportunities. All parties spoke positively?of the productive outcomes of China-Spain urban?cooperation. They unanimously agreed that, under current circumstances, cities in both countries should prioritize collaboration in energy transition, the digital economy, and smart cities.?By enhancing exchanges and mutual learning, they can jointly advance sustainable development while contributing to the steady?and sustained?growth of the China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership.Lv?Hongwei, Deputy Director-General?and First-Level Counselor of the CPAFFC's Department of European and Asian Affairs, and Julián Nieva, Senator of Spain and Mayor of Manzanares, made concluding remarks.
Chinese Youth Friendship Ambassadors Delegation Visits ROK
From April 21 to 26, at the invitation of the Korea Foundation (KF), Yuan Mindao, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), led a delegation of 53 Chinese youth friendship ambassadors?to visit Seoul and Jeju in the Republic of Korea?(ROK). Chung Byung-won, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ROK; Oh Young-hoon, Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province; and Kim Tae-kyun,?First Administrative Deputy?Mayor of Seoul, held welcome ceremonies for the delegation respectively. Rhee Jong-kook, Executive Vice President?of the KF,?and Kim Eel-hwan, President of Jeju National University, met with and hosted dinners for the?delegation?respectively.During the visit, the delegation participated in multiple friendly exchange activities hosted by organizations such as the KF?and Jeju National University, including youth exchanges and traditional cultural experiences. They also explored public infrastructure in the country, learned about governance experiences and development status at national and subnational?levels, which helped?enhance mutual understanding and trust.In his speech, Yuan Mindao gave positive?evaluations of?the cooperation achievements between China and the ROK?across all fields, appreciated the crucial?role played by friendly figures from all sectors in the ROK?in deepening people-to-people friendship between the two countries, and introduced the guiding principles of China's Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries. Yuan noted that?China and the ROK are close neighbors and inseparable partners. The fruitful outcomes?achieved in bilateral relations over the past 33 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the ROK?prove that China-ROK friendly cooperation serves the interests of both countries and peoples.?Youth people represent the future and hope of the?cause. He looked forward to more exchanges between youth from the two countries, in-depth discussions on issues of common concern, deepened mutual trust and friendship, and joint efforts to be practitioners of China-ROK friendship, propelling forward?the steady and sustained?development of the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership.Rhee Jong-kook?thanked the Chinese side?for inviting the ROK youth delegation on a successful visit to China last year, and warmly welcomed the visit of the Chinese?youth friendship ambassadors delegation?to the ROK.?It is believed that these mutual visits between the youth of the two countries signify the full resumption of China-ROK youth exchanges and expressed the hope that such interactions would foster lasting friendships among the youth of both countries. Chung Byung-won expressed?that enhancing cultural?exchanges and maintaining friendly sentiments are of utmost importance in developing China-ROK relations. Only through friendly exchanges among the younger generation can a solid foundation for state-to-state relations be laid. All?sectors of society in the ROK extended their congratulations to China on its remarkable achievements in economic and social development,?and expressed appreciation for the efforts of the CPAFFC in promoting people-to-people friendship between China and the ROK, particularly in facilitating subnational?and youth exchanges. Furthermore, they conveyed the?willingness?to work hand in hand to make new contributions to the friendship between the two countries.The China-ROK Youth?Friendship Ambassadors Exchange Program?has been jointly implemented by the?CPAFFC?and the KF?since 2009, with over 3,000 outstanding young people from both countries having participated?in mutual visits through this initiative to date.?This marks the first visit to the ROK?by a Chinese youth friendship ambassadors?delegation organized by the CPAFFC?since?the outbreak of?Covid-19. The delegation consists of young civil servants from central government agencies and five provinces and municipalities, namely, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Yunnan, and Qinghai.
Vice President Jiang Jiang Meets with Chairman Markus Ferber of Hanns Seidel Foundation
On April 23, 2025,?Jiang Jiang, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries?(CPAFFC),?met with Markus Ferber, Chairman?of the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Germany, at the CPAFFC. The two sides exchanged views on strengthening cooperation between the two institutions, enhancing people-to-people exchanges between China and Germany, and facilitating the development of China-Germany and China-Europe relations.Lv?Hongwei, Deputy Director-General?and First-Level Counselor of the CPAFFC's Department of European and Asian Affairs, also attended the meeting.
Vice President Shen Xin Attends Brazil-China Economic Summit
On April 23, 2025, the Brazil-China Economic Summit, hosted by Brazilian magazine Valor Econ?mico, was convened?in Shanghai. Attendees included Chen Jing, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress and President of the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries?(SPAFFC); Gu Haidong, Executive Deputy?Mayor of Suzhou; Chen Weiqiang, Deputy?Mayor of Hangzhou; Alexandre Silveira, Minister of Mines and Energy of Brazil; Dilma Rousseff, former President of Brazil and President of the New Development Bank; Marcos Galv?o, Brazilian Ambassador to China;?Cláudio Castro, Governor of Rio de Janeiro; Ricardo Nunes, Mayor of S?o Paulo; Marcos Caramuru, Member of the International Advisory Board at the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI) and former Brazilian Ambassador to China; Frederic?Kachar, Director-General of Grupo Globo; as well as representatives from the agricultural, energy, automotive, and financial sectors of China and Brazil, totaling around 150 people. Shen Xin, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries?(CPAFFC), attended?and addressed?the opening ceremony.(Shen Xin delivers a speech at the opening ceremony.)Shen Xin stated that China-Brazil relations have entered a new historical stage of jointly building a China-Brazil community with a shared future and further aligning their development strategies. The CPAFFC is willing to work with all sectors of society in Brazil?to deepen exchanges between local governments and young elites of the two countries,?break new ground in business cooperation among the Global South, and contribute to the sustained advancement?of China-Brazil friendship in the new era.(Group photo with Dilma Rousseff and Chen Jing)Brazilian guests spoke highly of?the achievements of Chinese modernization and expressed the willingness to work with China to build consensus among the Global South within the frameworks of BRICS and the G20, uphold multilateralism, steer economic globalization in the right direction, and increase?the influence of the Global South, including China and Brazil, in emerging fields.On the evening of April?22,?Shen Xin hosted a dinner for the main Brazilian participants in Shanghai.
Governor Kazuhiko Oigawa of Japan's Ibaraki Prefectural Government Leads Delegation to China
At the invitation of the Chinese?People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries?(CPAFFC), Oigawa Kazuhiko, Governor of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, along with Nishino?Hajime, Speaker of the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly, and Kawazu Takashi, President of the Ibaraki Prefecture Japan-China Friendship Association, led a 30-member delegation to visit China from April 15 to 20, 2025.On April 19, Zhao Gang, Governor of Shaanxi Province, met with the delegation and signed a letter of intent for the development of the sister province/prefecture relations?with Governor Oigawa Kazuhiko. Zhao Gang said?that Shaanxi is rich in energy, science, education, and cultural tourism resources, and it shares a high degree of relevance and strong complementarity with Ibaraki Prefecture in terms of resources and industries, thus offering broad prospects for cooperation.?He hoped that Shaanxi?and Ibaraki?would?take the signing of this letter of intent as an opportunity to continuously enhance the scale, quality, and level of cooperation in fields such as economy and trade, culture, and tourism, contributing to the sound and steady development of China-Japan relations.Governor Oigawa Kazuhiko?praised the achievements Shaanxi has made in its economic and social development and expressed the willingness to continue strengthening practical cooperation with Shaanxi on all fronts, intensifying cultural and people-to-people?exchanges, steadily enhancing?friendship, and?seeking common development.(Governor Zhao Gang of Shaanxi Province and Governor Oigawa Kazuhiko?of Ibaraki Prefecture attend the signing ceremony of the Letter of Intent for the Development of the Sister Province/Prefecture Relations.)During their stay in Shaanxi, the delegation held a matching meeting between private enterprises from the two?places, and visited the Qinling Giant Panda Research Base and the Shaanxi History Museum. Some members of the delegation also visited Beijing, during which they paid courtesy calls to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Asian and African Languages Programming Center under the China Media Group, and the Center?for Japanese Studies of Beijing Foreign Studies University.(The delegation from Ibaraki Prefecture visits?the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Asian and African Languages Programming Center under the China Media Group, and the Center?for Japanese Studies of Beijing Foreign Studies University?in Beijing.)
