President Li Xiaolin Meets with Japanese Guests Attending Local Cooperation Sub-forum of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation
Mme. Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met in China National Convention Center with Mr. ISHII TAKAKAZU, governor of Toyama-ken, Mr. TASSO TAKUYA, governor of Iwate-ken?and?other Japanese guests attending Local Cooperation Sub-forum of the Second Belt?and?Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) on the afternoon of April 25th. Mr. Song Jingwu, vice president of CPAFFC, Mme. Zhu Dan?and?Mr. Cheng Haibo, deputy director generals of Department of Japanese Affairs, attended the meeting.
President Li Xiaolin thanked Japanese guests for paying special visit to China this time to attend the BRF?and?spoke highly of contributions Japanese local governments including Toyama-ken?and?Iwate-ken had made for a long time to deepen the exchanges?and?cooperation in various fields of the two countries, improve the bilateral relations. She said, with the joint efforts by the governments?and?various circles in two countries, the current bilateral relations have returned to normal track showing positive signs. This year is an important year for the two countries?and?the bilateral ties. The leaders of the two countries determined this year as China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year. Both sides have agreed to arrange for the exchange?and?visits of 30,000 young people in the next five years. China will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Japan’s new imperial era to begin on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes emperor, will be called Reiwa. G20 Summit will be held in Japan in June. He sincerely expected that the local governments?and?other circles of the two countries could take the important opportunities of the Belt?and?Road Initiative?and?improving the Sino-Japanese relations to deepen the cooperation between the two countries?and?the third market, commonly protect the multilateralism?and?free trade, promote people-to-people connectivity, consolidate the basis of friendship?and?make important contributions to keeping stability?and?prosperity in the region?and?even the world.
Governors ISHII TAKAKAZU?and?TASSO TAKUYA thanked CPAFFC for inviting them to attend BRF. They felt the extensive influence?and?great achievements of the construction of the Belt?and?Road Initiative in the world through attending BRF this time. The cooperation of the local governments is an important component for the bilateral ties. BRF this time specially set up the local cooperation sub-forum, which fully showed the attention paid by China to strengthening the local cooperation with the countries in the world. There is still a huge space?and?great potential for the local governments of the two countries to develop cooperation under the framework of the Belt?and?Road Initiative. They would?like?to take attending BRF as an opportunity to further keep close exchanges?and?cooperation with Chinese relevant regions?and?make more contributions to improving the Sino-Japanese relations.
Governor ISHII TAKAKAZU delivered a speech for Japanese sides on this local government sub-forum?and?made an introduction about the results Toyama-ken had achieved during developing the exchanges?and?cooperation with China. At last, he expressed active prospect of the cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt?and?Road Initiative.
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Photographed by Wang Lin
President Li Xiaolin Meets with Ambassador YOKOI YUTAKA
Mme. Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met in Beijing with Mr. YOKOI YUTAKA, ambassador of Embassy of Japan in China on April 22. Mr. Song Jingwu, vice president of CPAFFC, attended the meeting.
President Li Xiaolin said, under the common efforts of the governments?and?various circles of the two countries, China-Japan relations had returned to normal track?and?showed positive signs. As a window for China to develop nongovernmental exchanges with Japan, CPAFFC had held a series of activities, including the Third China-Japan Governors Forum, the Reception for the 40th Anniversary of China-Japan Treaty of Peace?and?Friendship since 2018, which pushed for the exchanges?and?cooperation of the two countries in various circles?and?helped to improve the bilateral relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed many times, friendship between the peoples holds the key to sound state-to-state relations,?and?heart-to-heart communication contributes to deeper friendship. Last October, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited China. During the visit, the leaders of the two countries determined this year as China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year. Both sides have agreed to arrange for the exchange?and?visits of 30,000 young people in the next five years. Some time ago, MFA (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China)?and?CPAFFC successfully held the opening ceremony of China-Japan Youth Exchange Promoting Year in Beijing. CPAFFC would?like?to work with the relevant departments of the two countries to continue nurturing China-Japan friendship among future generations through face-to-face?and?heart-to-heart exchanges of the youth between China?and?Japan, so as to realize the people-to-people ties?and?enable the friendship to pass on from generation to generation.
Ambassador YOKOI YUTAKA said, at present, the Sino-Japanese relations have been obviously improved. It is inspiring that both sides have actively developed the exchanges of the two countries in the fields of local governments, culture?and?people-to-people. Japan’s new imperial era to begin on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes emperor, will be called Reiwa. China will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China. Therefore, this year is a very important year for the two countries?and?the bilateral ties. The Sino-Japanese relations confronted with important opportunities to be further improved. The Japanese Embassy in China would give CPAFFC?and?other relevant institutions of the two countries a lot of support in developing the exchanges?and?cooperation in various fields, including youth exchanges, consolidating the basis of friendship, deepening pragmatic cooperation?and?pushing for new progress in bilateral relations.
President Li Xiaolin also made an introduction about the second Belt?and?Road Forum for International?and?Cooperation (BRF) to be held from April 25 to 27 in China.
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President Li Xiaolin Meets with Iranian Ambassador
On April 18, President Li Xiaolin met with Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Keshavarz Zadeh.
President Li Xiaolin thanked Iranian Embassy for its active participation in Naurus Festival celebration hosted by the CPAFFC on March 22. She briefed on the people-to-people friendly exchanges conducted by the CPAFFC in recent years, delightedly recalled her visit to Iran in the year of 2010, when she initiated the First Annual Conference of Friendship Associations between China?and?Iran. She said that with the joint efforts of friendship associations?and?embassies of our two countries, the annual conference has grown into the institutional platform for people’s friendly exchanges between China?and?Iran throughout almost ten years’ development.
Ambassador Keshavarz Zadeh thanked Madam Li for her time,?and?highly appraised CPAFFC for its contribution to people’s connectivity between China?and?international community. He said that Iranian government has been making a positive response to the Belt?and?Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, by promoting cooperation with China. He expressed that Iranian embassy will constantly strengthen contact with the CPAFFC, deepen mutual understanding?and?friendship between Chinese?and?Iranian people.
Vice President Lin Yi?and?Deputy Director General Li Hai of Department of Asian?and?African Affairs attended the meeting.
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Photographed by Zhang Rong
President Li Xiaolin Attends the 2019 ASEAN-China Governors/Mayors' Dialogue
On March 29, President Li Xiaolin attended?and?made a keynote speech on the 2019 ASEAN-China Governors/Mayors’ Dialogue co-hosted by the CPAFFC?and?the People’s Government of Hainan Province in Boao, Hainan. Mr. Mao Chaofeng, Executive Vice Governor of Hainan province?and?Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR government delivered keynote speeches respectively. Around 20 Governors?or?Mayors from Hainan, Guangzhou,Wuhan of China?and?Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand as well as Serbia, Sri Lanka participated in the dialogue?and?discussed on the topic of “ASEAN-China Connectivity?and?Hainan Free Trade Port”.
Li Xiaolin gave positive comments on the Dialogue for promoting the sub-national exchanges?and?cooperation between China?and?ASEAN in the past 5 years. She said that the provinces?and?cities from both sides should actively?join?the synchronizations of the Belt?and?Road Initiative with the development strategies in respective countries, safeguard the free trade?and?multilateralism, promote the people-to-people inter-connectivity, thus to build a common community with shared future between China?and?ASEAN local governments.
Mao Chaofeng said that Hainan?and?ASEAN are close in geological distance?and?the two peoples enjoyed amicable feelings. The two sides should enhance the inter-connectivity?and?deepen the pragmatic cooperation which will be conducive to the building of Hainan Free Trade Zone as well as the exploration of the Hainan Free Trade Port with Chinese Characteristics.
Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said that ASEAN is the second trading partner of Hong Kong?and?HK conducts various exchanges?and?cooperation in economic?and?trade?and?people-to-people field with ASEAN. Hong Kong would continuously take its advantage?and?play positive role in the advancement of China-ASEAN relations.
The Chinese delegates said that the Dialogue offered an important platform for their opening-up?and?exchanges with ASEAN?and?would deepen the inter-connectivity with local governments in ASEAN member states to promote the building of China-ASEAN Community of Shared Future.
The foreign delegates all said that China is a sincere friend?and?reliable partner for ASEAN countries?and?would take the good opportunity of the synchronization of the Belt?and?Road Initiative?and?development strategies in respective countries to deepen the inter-connectivity?and?exchanges in each field.
Delegates from all parties signed?and?issued the Joint Initiative of 2019 ASEAN-China Governors/Mayors’ Dialogue after the discussion.
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Photographed by Liu Lu
President Li Xiaolin Meets with New Kyrgyzstan Ambassador to China Baktygulova
Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mme. Baktygulova, New Kyrgyzstan Ambassador to China on March, 26.
President Li congratulated Ambassador Baktygulova on taking up her new post?and?made an introduction on the work CPAFFC had done for Kyrgyz Republic?and?Central Asia in recent years. President Li said, CPAFFC?and?CCAFA (China-Central Asia Friendship Association) would?like?to work with Kyrgyzstan Embassy in China to make unremitting efforts on strengthening the exchanges in the fields of nongovernmental economy, humanity?and?culture between China?and?Kyrgyz Republic,?and?the cooperation of the local governments of the two countries.
Ambassador Baktygulova thanked President Li for taking time to meet her?and?spoke highly of the active contributions CPAFFC had made to enhance people’s friendship. Ambassador Baktygulova expressed that Kyrgyzstan side had been supporting the Belt?and?Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping?and?would?like?to actively take part in the relevant events on the Initiative so as to achieve common development. Kyrgyzstan Embassy in China would keep close contact with CPAFFC to further deepen mutual understanding?and?friendly feelings of the two peoples.
Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mme. Hu Chunmei, Associated Counsel of Department of European?and?Asian Affairs of CPAFFC, attended the meeting.
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Photographed by Wen Guangmei
President Li Xiaolin Meets with Harald Krüger
Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Mr. Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of BMW Group,?and?his delegation on March, 25.
Both sides exchanged views on Sino-European relations?and?the exchanges of the humanity?and?culture of the two countries. Mr. Harald Krüger expressed thanks for developing cooperation with CPAFFC in recent years?and?introduced the development plans for BMW Group.
Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC, Mr. Shenxin, Director General of Department of European?and?Asian Affairs of CPAFFC, Mr. Lv Hongwei, Deputy Director General of Department of European?and?Asian Affairs of CPAFFC?and?Mr. Jochen Goller, President?and?CEO in greater China region for BMW Group, attended the meeting.
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President Li Xiaolin Meets with President and COO of Las Vegas Sands Corportation
On March 21st, President Li Xiaolin met with Robert G. Goldstein, President?and?COO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation(LVS)?and?his delegation.
President Li said that CPAFFC has been committed to promoting friendly exchanges?and?cooperation between China?and?the U.S. in various fields, hoping to work together with LVS to promote biliteral relations.
President Goldstein said that LVS has witnessed China’s reform?and?opening up?and?firmly believes in Chinese market. LVS stands ready to work with CPAFFC to contribute to U.S.-China friendly relations. Executive Vice President of U.S. Chamber of Commerce Myron Brilliant said that there are more opportunities than problems between our two countries. We will certainly come up with a solution to current trade frictions?and?bring the bilateral relationship back on track. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce would?like?to work with CPAFFC to advance the sound?and?steady development of U.S.-China relations.
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Photographed by Wang Yang
President Li Xiaolin Visits the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic
At the invitation of World Leadership Alliance?and?Liga da Multissecular Amizade Portugal-China, Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), led a delegation to visit Spain?and?Portugal from March 7 to 13, 2019.
During in Spain, President Li Xiaolin met respectively with Mrs. María Agüero, Secretary General of World Leadership Alliance, Mr. Juan Lladó, President of Spain-China Council Foundation, Mrs. Ana Sálomon, Director General for Asia?and?the Pacific, Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European?union?and Cooperation, Mr. Manuel Valencia, Vice President of Técnicas Reunidas International, ex Ambassador of Spain to China. Mr. Lv Fan, Chinese Ambassador to Spain, accompanied part of the meetings.
Mrs. María Agüero, Secretary General of World Leadership Alliance said, “2018 Imperial Springs International Forum” was held successfully last December. Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with foreign guests who attended the forum. This forum played an active role in promoting the friendly exchange between China?and?other countries, which achieved remarkable results.
President Li Xiaolin said, CPAFFC had been attaching great importance to the cooperation with World Leadership Alliance. We are very happy to see more?and?more personages from all walks of life including former politicians, well-known experts?and?scholars, leaders from business circles give advice on the development of China?and?international hot issues.
Mr. Juan Lladó, President of Spain-China Council Foundation, spoke highly of the contributions CPAFFC had made for a long time to the development of the China-Spain Forum.
President Li Xiaolin expressed, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Spain successfully at the end of November last year, which made great achievements?and?opened a new chapter in the comprehensive strategic partnership between China?and?Spain. CPAFFC would continue promoting the exchanges?and?cooperation with Spain in various fields?and?would actively help to organize the Ninth Session of the China-Spain Forum in China this year.
During in Portugal, President Li Xiaolin met respectively with Mr. Eurico Dias, Secretary of State for Internationalisation Affairs of Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Mendes, Vice Secretary General of Portuguese Socialist Party,Mr. José Luis Pinto Ramalho, President of Liga da Multissecular Amizade Portugal-China. Mr. Cai Run, Chinese Ambassador to Portugal accompanied part of meetings.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China?and?Portugal,?and?the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland. Both sides spoke highly of the development of Sino-Portuguese relations?and?had an in-depth discussion on topics including how to further strengthen the exchanges?and?cooperation in the fields of humanity?and?culture as well as local governments of the two countries,?and?commonly promote people-to-people connectivity under the framework of the Belt?and?Road. They also exchanged views on cooperation plans of both sides in the future.
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President Li Xiaolin Meets with Turkmenistan's New Ambassador to China
On February 27, President Li Xiaolin met with H.E. Mr. Durdyyev, Turkmenistan's new Ambassador to China.
Li Xiaolin congratulated Ambassador Durdyyev on his assumption of the new post?and?introduced the work of the CPAFFC?and?its recent exchanges with Turkmenistan?and?Central Asia. She said that the CPAFFC?and?the China-Central Asia Friendship Association are willing to work together with the Embassy of Turkmenistan in China to continuously contribute to strengthening exchanges?and?cooperation between the two countries in various fields.
Dulderev thanked Li Xiaolin for taking the time to meet with him?and?spoke highly of the positive contribution of the CPAFFC to enhancing the friendship between the peoples of China?and?other countries. He said that Turkmenistan supports the Belt?and?Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping?and?is willing to learn from China's advanced experiences in development. The Embassy of Turkmenistan in China will maintain close relations with the CPAFFC to further strengthen the people-to-people exchanges?and?local government cooperation between the two countries.
Vice President Song Jingwu, Director General of the Department of European?and?Asian Affairs Shen Xin?and?Associate Consul Hu Chunmei were present at the meeting.
Photographed by Zheng Chen
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President Li Xiaolin Meets with Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands
Li Xiaolin, President of the CPAFFC?and?Honorary President of China Friendship Foundation for Peace?and?Development (CFFPD), met with Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis?and?Malaria on February 27, 2019.
Li Xiaolin welcomed Peter Sands?and?his delegation. She briefly introduced the missions of the CPAFFC?and?the CFFPD. She said that the CPAFFC is concerned about the development of global health, poverty alleviation?and?common development,?and?hopes to work with the Global Fund to find solutions to the global issues of major infectious diseases?and?build an effective system of healthcare?and?disease prevention?and?control with the experiences of the Global Fund. She also discussed the possibility of establishing long-term strategic partnership between the CPAFFC?and?the Global Fund,?and?invited Peter Sands to attend the 4th World Philanthropy Forum to be held in September 2019 in Hong Kong, to share experiences?and?exchange ideas with the participants.
Peter Sands thanked Li Xiaolin for taking the time to meet him?and?spoke highly of the important role of the CPAFFC in promoting non-governmental exchanges?and?the development of charity. He said that the Global Fund attaches great importance to developing friendly relations with China?and?hopes to further promote friendly exchanges?and?pragmatic cooperation under the guidance of the Belt?and?Road Initiative, to help developing countries to end infectious diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis?and?malaria.
The Global Fund is the world's largest financier of healthcare programs. The Global Fund Secretariat is in Geneva, Switzerland?and?employs about 750 staff, consisting of professionals with backgrounds in medicine, pharmacy, public health, economics?and?finance. The Global Fund was originally hosted by the World Health Organization?and?became an administratively autonomous organization in 2009. It has become an important financier of the healthcare programs of the WHO, the UN agencies?and?developing countries.
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Photographed by Zhu Jiayi