ＳＳＦＡ Ｐｒｅｓｉｄｅｎｔ Ｓｉａ Ｙｏｎｇ Ｒｅｃｅｉｖｅｓ Ｔｉｔｌｅ ｏｆ Ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓｈｉｐ Ａｍｂａｓｓａｄｏｒ

A ceremony was held on May 19 by the CPAFFC to confer upon Sia Yong， president of the Singa Sino Friendship Association (SSFA)， the title of Friendship Ambassador in recognition of the contributions he has made to strengthening and developing the relations of friendship and cooperation between China and Singapore. CPAFFC President Chen Haosu， Vice President Li Xiaolin were present at the ceremony. President Chen presented the certificate and medal of Friendship Ambassador to Sia Yong.

Sia Yong is an old friend of the Chinese people and cherishes profound feelings towards China. He had had close contact with relevant departments in China before the founding of the SSFA and made positive contributions to the opening up of trade and friendly relations between China and Singapore. In 1993， Sia Yong， together with personages of insight in Singapore， founded the Singa Sino Friendship Association and started its active and fruitful exchanges and cooperation with China. Over the past decade and more， the SSFA， under the leadership of Sia Yong， has established links with the friendship associations in various places in China including our Association through organizing delegations to visit China and hosting visitors to Singapore sent by our Association and other delegations from China. It sponsored various activities and carried out cooperation in many forms with our Association and other organizations and departments of the central and local governments， which have given great impetus to the mingling of the Chinese and Singaporean cultures and enhanced understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

President Chen Haosu said at the ceremony that the title of Friendship Ambassador is the highest honour the CPAFFC confers upon those foreign friends who have made outstanding contributions to promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the people of his/her own country and China over the years. President Sia Yong is the first Singaporean to receive such an honour. He is worthy of the title. Chen expressed respects and appreciation for Sia Yong’s efforts to consolidate and advance the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries.

President Sia Yong thanked the CPAFFC for conferring upon him the highest honour---the title of Friendship Ambassador. He said that the honour was not bestowed upon himself alone， but also upon his colleagues in the SSFA and the people of Singapore， and that he would make continual efforts to increase understanding and friendship between the Singaporean and Chinese peoples.

Donations to Education

At the conferring ceremony， President Sia Yong， on behalf of the SSFA， donated 500，000 RMB yuan to set up a special fund under the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development. The fund will be used over a period of ten years---50，000 yuan each year---to pay the tuition fees for the poor students in Guizhou Province.

President Sia Yong said， the CPAFFC greeted its 50th anniversary this year. The SSFA delegation coming specially for the occasion has brought with it something that can not be called a gift---500，000 RMB yuan to help children in China’s poverty-stricken areas to go to school. It is not much， but only a token of regard from all the members of the SSFA.

Li Xiaolin， vice president of the CPAFFC and secretary general of the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development， accepted the donation on behalf of the Foundation and expressed her heart-felt thanks to Sia Yong and other friends in the SSFA for the donation.