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First Six Citigroup China-US Friendship English Libraries

Established in Guizhou

To help the English teaching and learning in Guizhou， with the Citigroup’s financial support the China-US People’s Friendship Association has established Citigroup China-US Friendship English Libraries in six middle schools in Guizhou Province. Now， all six libraries have been put into use. Ms. Wang Li， vice president of the Citibank China in charge of public affairs， recently visited two of them， one in Zhenfeng Middle School in the southwest and the other in Leishan Middle School in the southeast of the province. Both schools， whose students are mainly of the Buyi and Miao ethnic groups， lie in remote mountainous areas， and have few English books and materials. The establishment of the libraries offers teachers and students easy access to English materials， and enhances their enthusiasm in learning the language. In three months， more than 1，000 students in each school have come to read books in the libraries. The Citigroup will give donations again for building another five or six libraries in Guangxi Autonomous Region this year. （Shen Xin）

UWI Professors Delegation of Jamaica Visits China

Invited by the CPAFFC， a professors delegation of the University of West Indies (UWI) of Jamaica headed by Ronald Young， dean of the Department of Applied Sciences， visited Beijing， Xi’an， Nanjing， Shanghai and Yichang from October 17 to 30， 2004.

In Nanjing， the delegation attended the 3rd International Conference on Natural Products (ICNP) sponsored by Nanjing University. More than 500 scholars from over 40 countries were present at the conference， at which two members of the delegation spoke and had exchanges with the Chinese participants. The delegation hoped to conduct academic exchanges and cooperation with Chinese universities in the fields of traditional Chinese medical science， bio-medical science， food chemistry， computer application， etc. and in setting up a science park in Jamaica.

The delegation visited the science park cosponsored by Nanjing University and the Guluo District People’s Government of Nanjing and jointly managed by 9 institutes of higher learning in Nanjing. The park serves as a platform for commercializing universities’ achievements in scientific researches， an incubator for high-tech enterprises， and a training base for people with pioneering spirit. It became one of the first batch state-level university science parks in May 2001. The two sides had pleasant exchanges of views and believed that there was great prospect for them to cooperate in the establishment of a science park in Jamaica. They agreed to carry out exchanges of visits between the heads of the two universities and sign a cooperation agreement first so as to conduct academic cooperation and cooperation in setting up a science park in Jamaica.(Ba Cuicui)

Delegation of US Sister Cities International Visits China

A 11-member delegation of Sister Cities International (SCI) of the United States with its president Sherman Banks as the head and Deputy Mayor of Spokane Jack Lynch as the deputy head visited Beijing， Jilin， Xi’an and Shanghai from November 4 to 14， 2004 at the invitation of the CPAFFC. The delegation discussed with the CPAFFC on the twinning of friendship cities between China and the United States and the holding of the second symposium on Sino-US friendship cities in Spokane of Washington State in 2005.

Spokane and Jilin are friendship cities. Jack Lynch， deputy mayor of Spokane， paid a special visit to Jilin and discussed with leaders of Jilin how to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of economy and trade， science and technology， culture and education between the two cities. In Xi’an， the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government arranged for the four members of the delegation who had come to China to look for cities to establish friendship-city ties substantial talks with the relevant city government officials of Xi’an， Xianyang， Weinan， Hanzhong， Shangluo and Yulin. Heads of the Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing and Shanghai briefed the delegation on the situation of their respective cities. The two sides agreed to strengthen contact and communication in the future， while the Chinese side promised to assist the US cities to find suitable Chinese cities to twin friendship ties.(Zhang Lizhen)

Fifty-five Years of Sino-Vietnamese Diplomatic Ties Marked

The CPAFFC and the China-Vietnam Friendship Association (CVFA) jointly held a reception in Beijing on January 17， 2005 to mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam. CPAFFC President Chen Haosu， Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei， CVFA President Zhao Dongwan， CPAFFC Vice President Wang Yunze and leading members of the departments concerned attended the reception. Also present at the reception were Vietnamese Ambassador to China Tran Van Luat， diplomats of the Vietnamese Embassy in China and their wives. President Chen Haosu and Ambassador Tran Van Luat spoke at the reception.

Reception Celebrating 50th Anniversary of China-Afghanistan Diplomatic Relations

A reception was jointly held by the CPAFFC and the Afghan Embassy in China on January 20， 2005 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Afghanistan. Bai Lichen， vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference， Wu Dawei， vice foreign minister， among more than 100 people including leading members of the relevant government departments and people’s organizations， diplomatic envoys from the embassies in China， and diplomats of the Afghan Embassy， attended the reception. CPAFFC President Chen Haosu and Afghan Ambassador to China Qiamuddin Rai Barlas spoke at the reception. Vice Chairman Bai Lichen and Ambassador Barlas unveiled the plaque for the opening of an exhibition of photos recording the history of friendly relations between China and Afghanistan.

CAFA Holds Chinese New Year Reception and CAFA Website Launching Ceremony

The CPAFFC and the China-Arab Friendship Association (CAFA) co-hosted a Chinese New Year reception and the launching ceremony of the website of the CAFA (www.cafa.org.cn) on January 25， 2005 in the auditorium of the CPAFFC. Tomur Dawamat， former vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and president of the CAFA， Chen Haosu and Wang Yunze， president and vice president of the CPAFFC， Yang Fuchang and Li Chengren， vice presidents of the CAFA， CAFA council members in Beijing as well as Qatar Ambassador to China Saleh A. Al-Bouanin who is also chairman of the Council of Ambassadors to China of Arab Countries， ambassadors and charge d’affaires ad interim of the other Arab countries， totaling more than 70 people， attended the reception.

CPAFFC President Chen Haosu and Ambassador Saleh A. Al-Bouanin delivered warm speeches. CAFA President Tomur Dawamat and Ambassador Saleh A. Al-Bouanin pressed the button together to launch the CAFA website.(Hu Jianhuai)

China-ASEAN Association Website Launched

The launching ceremony of the China-ASEAN Association website (www.chinaasean.org) and the Chinese New Year reception was held in the CPAFFC on January 26， 2005. Gu Xiulian， vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress， CPAFFC President Chen Haosu， leading members of the seven bilateral friendship associations including China-Thailand Friendship Association and China-Vietnam Friendship Association， and diplomatic envoys of ASEAN countries’ embassies in China， attended the reception. Vice Chairperson Gu Xiulian， President Chen Haosu and Lao Ambassador Vichit Xindavong who is dean of the ASEAN’s diplomatic corps spoke at the reception and cut the ribbon for the launching of the website. The website opened a greater platform of exchange for the friendly cooperation between China and ASEAN countries

25th Anniversary of Sino-Colombian Diplomatic Relations Marked

The CPAFFC and the China-Latin America Friendship Association (CLAFA) co-hosted a reception on February 1， 2005 to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Colombia. Cheng Siwei， vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and president of the CLAFA， Li Xiaolin， vice president of the CPAFFC， and Guillermo Ricardo Velezlondono， Colombian ambassador to China， attended the reception， at which Vice President Li Xiaolin made a speech.

New Year Reception for Sino-Japanese Friendship Held in Beijing

The China-Japan Friendship Association gave a reception on February 1， 2005 to greet the arrival of the Chinese New Year. CJFA President Song Jian， CPAFFC President Chen Haosu， Japanese Ambassador to China Koreshige Anami among over 100 personages of various circles from both countries attended the reception. President Song Jian made a New Year speech.

Chinese New Year Reception for China-Latin America Friendship

The CPAFFC and the China-Latin America Friendship Association (CLAFA) hosted a reception in Beijing on February 22， 2005 to celebrate the Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. Cheng Siwei， vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and president of the CLAFA， among more than 80 representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs， the Ministry of Commerce， the Ministry of Culture， the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and other relevant departments， and diplomats from the embassies of 12 Latin American and Caribbean countries， attended the reception. CPAFFC Vice President Li Xiaolin made a speech. Colombian songs and dances and Chinese acrobatics were performed at the reception.