Vice President Hu Sishe attended the Third Session of Dialogue between Chinese and German Historical Cities
On Sep.5, the Third Session of Dialogue Between Chinese?and?German Historical Cities was held in Trier, German. The Dialogue was co-hosted by CPAFFC together with Shaanxi People’s government, Rheinland-Pfalz State Government, Ministry of Science, Further Education?and?Culture of Rheinland-Pfalz, German Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe Rheinland-Pfalz (GDKE), Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher China-gesellschaften (ADCG, Federation of Germany-China Friendship Association). President of CPAFFC Madam Li Xiaolin, Governor of Shaanxi Province Mr. Liu Guozhong?and?Governor of Rheinland-Pfalz Madam Malu Dreyer sent congratulating letters respectively to the Dialogue.
Dr. Hu Sishe, Vice President of CPAFFC, Dr. Denis Alt, State Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Further Education?and?Culture of Rheinland-Pfalz, Mr. Ji Wenkui, Deputy Director General of Shaanxi Foreign Affairs Office, ?Ms. Elvira Garbes, Vice Mayor of Trier, Mr. Qiang Xiaoan, Vice Mayor of Xi’an, Mr. Kurt Karst, President of ADCG,?and?Dr. Thomas Metz, Director General of GDKE?and?representatives from the Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt attended the opening ceremony.?
Dr. Hu mentioned in his speech that we’ve held 2 successful dialogues since 2017?and?the past two years witnessed higher level, more rich contents?and?more influence of the two Province / State. In the future, we will be more engaged in promoting exchanges?and?cooperation between China?and?Germany in the fields of protection of cultural heritage, tourism, music, innovation & entrepreneurship,?and?smart-city development.?
Dr. Denis Alt, State Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Further Education?and?Culture said in his speech that the cooperation between CPAFFC?and?Rheinland-Pfalz began with music exchanges?and?was then expanded to the fields cultural heritage, tourism, economy?and?so on. He looked back on cooperation between CPAFFC?and?Villa Musika, ?series exhibition of Meeting China?and?other cooperation in the past. He expressed confidence in future bilateral cooperation. ?
The Dialogue will be held between Sep.4 to 6 on the theme of innovation, heritage protection?and?city planning. During the dialogue, activities including China-Germany Innovation?and?entrepreneurship Dialogue, Sino-German Symposium on Historic?and?Cultural Heritage, ? Symposium on Sino-German Urban Planning?and?Architecture. Besides these activities, the folk artists from Yulin will give performances in Trier, Mainz,?and?Wiesbaden.
Symposium on Sino-German Urban Planning?and?Architecture
Folk Music Performance in Electoral Palace
Folk Art Performance?and?Paper-cutting Exhibition named Orchid Flower
Photographed by Sun Yajing
Ping Pong Fit 2019 International Festival held in the U.S.
From August 31 to September 2, at the invitation of the Global Creative Cities Coalition (“GC3”), Xu Fenghua, Deputy Inspector of the Department of American?and?Oceanian Affairs of CPAFFC, led a delegation to visit Long Beach, California to attend the Ping Pong Fit 2019 International Festival.
Deputy Inspector Xu read the congratulatory message from President Li Xiaolin on the opening ceremony of the event, introduced the main tasks of CPAFFC?and?the work we have done for the local government exchanges between China?and?the United States in recent years,?and?said that the event is of great significance to the sports?and?cultural exchanges between China?and?the United States.
Monique Luo?and?Barry Sedlik, the founders of GC3?and?host of the Festival, said that the purpose of the event is to promote ping pong through public participation, so as to enhance the understanding?and?friendship between people of China?and?the United States,?and?that they will set up table tennis tables in public places in more cities in the future, in order to promote a healthier?and?happier lifestyle to more people in the United States.
Zhang Ping, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Los Angeles, John Keisler, Economic Development Director of the City of Long Beach,?and?other Chinese?and?foreign guests attended the opening ceremony?and?cut the ribbon for the Festival. CPAFFC delegation delivered the commemorative paddles specially made by Shanghai Double Happiness Co., Ltd. for the event to the Festival organizer?and?the City of Long Beach.
During the visit to the United States, the delegation also held ?meetings with Katherine Greene, representative of the Mayor of Dublin, California, Jeffrey Greene, Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundationon,?and?Edward Beneda, son of U.S. Flying Tigers veteran Glen Beneda on the possibility of cooperation on strengthening China-U.S. sub-national government cooperation, carrying on friendship between the two countries?and?spreading the story of bilateral cooperation of the Flying Tigers.
Photographed by Liu Yi
The 10th Annual Conference of China Iran Friendship Associations and Seminar on China Iran Relations Held in Beijing
On August 13, the 10th annual conference of China Iran Friendship Associations?and?seminar on China-Iran relations was held in Beijing. It was jointly organized by CPAFFC, China-Iran Friendship Association?and?Iran-China Friendship Association.
China?and?Iran?join?hands to build the Belt?and?Road was the theme of this year’s conference. Vice President Mrs. Lin Yi of CPAFFC, President Mr. Ahad Mohammadi of Iran-China Friendship Association, Iranian Ambassador to China H.E. Mohammadi Keshavarz Zadeh, as well as nearly a hundred people from all fields including travel, culture, youth, technology?and?trade of both sides attended the conference. The Seminar mainly focused on China-Iran joint efforts in the building of the Belt?and?Road. Participants shared their opinions on the status quo?and?challenges of bilateral cooperation as well as each others’ expectations in forms of keynote speeches?and?free discussions. The conference facilitated the communication between the two sides?and?built a pragmatic?and?efficient platform for the friendly cooperation between China?and?Iran.
Photographed by Ren Xin
4th U.S.-China Sister Cities Mayors’ Summit Held in the United States
On July 17th, the 4th U.S.-China Sister Cities Mayors’ Summit, co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC)?and?the Sister Cities International (SCI), was held in Houston, Texas, with the theme of “40 Years Ahead: Stronger Friendship, Closer Cooperation”. Mr. Xie Yuan, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Li Qiangmin, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Houston, Mr. Yin Chengwu, Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States, Mr. Liu Jianyang, Mayor of Nanchang Municipal People’s Government, Mr. Peng Daiyuan, Vice Mayor of Guilin Municipal People’s Government, Mr. Luo Shijian, Vice Mayor of Baise Municipal People’s Government, Mr. Yang Wumin, Vice Mayor of Weinan Municipal People’s Government, Mr. Ron Nirenberg, Mayor of San Antonio, Mr. Alix DeSulme, Vice Mayor of North Miami, Ms. Helene Schneider, Former Mayor of Santa Barbara, Mr. Anise Parker, Former Mayor of Houston, Mr. Christopher Olsen, Director of Trade?and?International Affairs of Houston?and?around 200 representatives of local governments, enterprises, educational institutions?and?other organizations from 21 cities of 16 Chinese provinces?and?municipalities, as well as 21 cities of 11 states from the United States attended the Summit?and?had discussions over topics such as innovation?and?smart cities, Maritime Silk Road?and?impact, metroplex collaborations?and?the future for economic growth,?and?sino-foreign educational cooperation?and?exchanges, so as to reinforce relations of friendship cities,?and?to promote pragmatic sub-national cooperation between the United States?and?China.
Vice President Xie Yuan delivered a speech on the opening ceremony of the Summit. He said, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China?and?the United States. For 40 years, although weathering wind?and?rain, China-U.S. relations have firmly forged ahead. Till now, China?and?the United States have built 227 pairs of friendship cities?and?50 pairs of friendship provinces?and?states. The complementarity?and?concerted cooperation between the friendship cities have effectively promoted regional economic?and?social development?and?deepened the understanding?and?friendship between the people. In accordance with the principles?and?direction set by the two heads of state on the G20 Osaka Summit, we should strengthen cooperation in various fields?and?maintain engaged at different levels, so as to jointly advance a China-U.S. relationship based on coordination, cooperation?and?stability to bring more benefits to the two countries?and?people of the whole world.
Minister Counselor Yin Chengwu of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States read the congratulatory letter from Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai. In the letter, he said, over the past 40 years, the China-U.S. relations have achieved historic development through ups?and?downs, which has brought great benefits to the two peoples,?and?promoted peace, prosperity?and?stability of the world. The history has fully proved that China?and?America stand to gain from cooperation?and?lose from confrontation. Cooperation?and?dialogue is better than friction?and?confrontation,?and?this is also the fundamental principle that will underlie the China-U.S. relations in the future.?
Mayor Ron Nirenberg said that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China?and?the United States. The summit would review the remarkable achievements?and?development of the bilateral relations in the past 4 decades, in order to promote bilateral cooperation?and?foster common prosperity.
Director Christopher Olsen attended the Summit on behalf of the government of the City of Houston. In his speech, he said that with the increasingly closer relations between Houston?and?China in recent years, Houston attaches great importance to its relations with China. This Summit will surely further push forward the pragmatic cooperation between Houston?and?cities of China.?
Mayor Liu Jianyang said in his speech that as the host city of last U.S.-China Sister Cities Mayors’ Summit, they sincerely hope that on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the United States?and?China, cities of both countries can further strengthen exchanges?and?cooperation through this platform so as to?create?a better future.
Consul General Li Qiangmin said in the keynote speech that the sub-national exchanges between China?and?the United States, especially the friendship city cooperation, have always been a strong impetus for the development of bilateral relations?and?an important bond connecting people from different circles in the two countries. The Summit is the first important conference for bilateral sub-national cooperation after the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping?and?U.S. President Donald Trump at the G20 Osaka Summit,?and?it plays a significant role in promoting the relations?and?pragmatic cooperation of friendship cities between China?and?the United States.
During the Summit, Shanghai held “Trans-Pacific Exchanges?and?Cooperation, Shanghai Commemorates the 40th Anniversary of China-US Diplomatic Relations” photo exhibition.
The U.S.-China Sister Cities Mayors' Summit is an important mechanism for exchanges of local government between the two countries. Since its founding in 2014, the Summit had been successfully held for three times, with a total of over 800 attendees, including officials of local governments?and?representatives from all walks of life from both countries. The Summit has served as a platform for promoting the development of U.S.-China friendship cities?and?reinforcing practical cooperation between sub-national governments of both sides. ?
Photographed by Xinhua News Agency
