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The delegation of 16 board members of People to People International (PPI) headed by Ms. Mary Eisenhower， president and CEO of PPI， paid a visit to Beijing， Nanjing and Shanghai at the invitation of the CPAFFC from June 17 to 26. Xu Kuangdi， vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and president of the China-U.S. People’s Friendship Association (CUSPFA)， met with the delegation. Li Xiaolin， vice president of the CPAFFC met with them and hosted a banquet in their honour. The CPAFFC gave a presentation on China and arranged briefings for the delegation on China’s health care， economy and trade， education， humanitarian aid and volunteer programmes by officials from the Ministry of Health， the Chinese Young Volunteers Association， the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade， China Education Association for International Exchange and the Red Cross Society of China.

CPPCC Vice President Xu Kuangdi Meets with the Delegation

During his meeting with the delegation， Mr. Xu Kuangdi spoke highly of the contributions they have made to the promotion of exchanges between the Chinese and American peoples， in particular among the young people of different countries. He said， while many economic and trade exchanges have been conducted between China and the U.S. cultural exchanges should also be promoted.Since countries are different in religion， culture and social system， it is of great importance to enhance the interaction and dialogue among the young people， which will contribute to the friendship among peoples and prosperity of their countries.Ms. Mary Eisenhower responded that she had been to China many times and every time she could see some new changes. However， there is one thing which has never changed， that is， the friendship the Chinese people cherish towards other peoples.To maintain this friendship is the key for the world to survive. She told Mr. Xu that PPI sponsored the Second Peace Camp in Egypt in May 2005， which had been strongly supported by CPAFFC Vice President Li Xiaolin， who led two Chinese high school students to attend it. She said， war comes from lack of communication between souls.The Peace Camp was aimed to putting people from different cultures together and promoting understanding through dialogue. The PPI shares many common values with the CPAFFC and the one objective， that is， to increase cooperation in the future.Vice President Xu expressed his agreement with Ms. Eisenhower on strengthening exchanges between young people of China and the U.S. He hoped that more American students could be brought to China for visits and to stay at homes of ordinary Chinese people. The CUSPFA would like to provide its support in this aspect.He also suggested that PPI Peace Camp be held in China in the future.

Rich and Colourful Exchange Activities

During its stay in Beijing， the delegation attended the presentation given by the CPAFFC. They were very interested in foreign investment in China， China’s RMB exchange rate， health care system， education system and Youth Volunteer Programmes. The delegation members said that it was very informative and helpful for them to learn more about China.

The visitors also showed great interest in children’s education in China. The CPAFFC arranged for the delegation to visit the Middle School affiliated to the Renmin University， where Mary Eisenhower met the two Chinese students who had participated in the 2005 Peace Camp in Egypt. She was very excited. They also visited a primary school in Nanjing and the Children’s Palace in Shanghai. They talked with the teachers and students enthusiastically and were deeply touched by the warmth and vitality of the students. The delegation showed concern about the welfare system for the orphans and disabled children in China. They were invited to visit Shanghai Municipal Welfare Institute. The leader of the Institute gave them a detailed briefing about the care and support provided by the government， society and foreign friends， the new Adoption Law and the life and education of the children in the Institute， which impressed them very much.

Members of the delegation were very eager to visit homes of ordinary Chinese people.In Nanjing， they divided into small groups and visited people’s homes， where they had lunch together with the hosts and did shopping in the markets for ordinary Chinese people. One member said that she had been to many countries in the world but never to anybody’s homes before. They could feel the warmth， friendship and hospitality of the Chinese people wherever they went during their visit.