ＣＬＡＦＡ Ｃｏｕｎｃｉｌ Ｍｅｅｔｉｎｇ Ｈｅｌｄ

The Council Meeting of the China-Latin America Friendship Association (CLAFA) was held in Beijing on February 3， 2004. More than 30 council members attended the meeting. It was presided over by CLAFA Vice President Li Xiaolin. Cheng Siwei， CLAFA president and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress， delivered a speech and CLAFA Secretary General Wang Hongqiang made a work report.

After the reshuffle of the CLAFA Council in 2001， the new leadership， by strengthening its internal organization and its management of external affairs， has made remarkable progress in various aspects of its work. In the last two years， the CLAFA received 18 delegations from 9 Latin American and Caribbean countries with a total of 274 people and sent 3 delegations to visit 9 Latin American countries， held receptions， ceremonies for first publication of books， painting exhibitions， commemorations of the establishment of diplomatic relations and famous Latin American figures， and other activities， dispatched several working groups to the Dominican Republic and Panama that have not yet established diplomatic relations with China and ratified 11 cities of 5 Latin American and Caribbean countries to twin friendship-city ties with Chinese cities. All this has contributed positively to strengthening contact between China and Latin America， enhancing friendship and promoting exchanges in the economic， trade， cultural and other fields. Especially in 2003， Vice Chairman Cheng Siwei of the NPC Standing Committee led a delegation to 4 Latin American countries for the first time after he became the president of the CLAFA and attended the Second Latin America and Caribbean Regional Conference of Friendship Organizations with China held in Bogota， capital of Colombia， pushing the people-to-people friendly relations between China and Latin American countries to a new stage. The 50th anniversary of the founding of the CPAFFC falls in this year. The CLAFA will vigorously carry out the work of publicity and making friends with people of other countries， and make adequate preparations for the successful convening of the First Nongovernmental Economic and Trade Seminar Between China and Latin America and Caribbean Region.

President Cheng Siwei pointed out in his speech， Latin American countries do not have any prejudice against China， a country with different social systems. China and Latin American countries suffered aggression by imperialism in the past. The same experiences and the mutually complementary cultures have made Latin American people truly admire the achievements China has won in its modernization drive. They hope that China will become a standard-bearer of the developing countries. The CLAFA should actively explore new channels and ways to carry out friendship activities and play a greater role in supporting China’s governmental diplomacy and enhancing understanding and friendship between the peoples. The participants voiced their opinions and put forth many valuable suggestions concerning strengthening the publicity work， promoting trade and personnel exchanges， carrying out friendly exchanges with the countries that have not yet established diplomatic relations with China， etc. They hoped that the work of the CLAFA would reach a higher level.

After the meeting， all the participants attended the Lantern Festival reception given by the CLAFA. Over 30 ambassadors and diplomats from the embassies of 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries in China attended the reception.