２００６ Ｂｉａｎｎｕａｌ Ｍｅｅｔｉｎｇ ｏｆ Ｐｒｅｓｉｄｅｎｔｓ ｏｆ Ｃｈｉｎａ’ｓ Ｐｅｏｐｌｅ’ｓ Ａｓｓｏｃｉａｔｉｏｎｓ ｆｏｒ Ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓｈｉｐ ｗｉｔｈ Ｆｏｒｅｉｇｎ Ｃｏｕ

The Biannual Meeting of Presidents of China’s People’s Associations for Friendship with Foreign Countries was held in Guangzhou from February 22 to 24， 2006. The main tasks of the meeting was to exchange information and experience， discuss how the friendship associationsimplement the spirit of the “May 20th” speech made by President Hu Jintao， innovate thinking on work and improve working method so as to make new contributions to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the three basic fields of political contacts， economic cooperation and cultural exchanges and push forward a new development of the cause of nongovernmental diplomacy. At the meeting Outline of Nongovernmental Diplomacy (a draft for soliciting comments) written by CPAFFC President Chen Haosu was discussed in an attempt to make a breakthrough in the innovation of theories of nongovernmental diplomacy.

The meeting was prepared by the Guangdong Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. About 170 leading members of the friendship associations from all parts of China attended the meeting which was presided over by Luo Qin， secretary-general of the CPAFFC. The secretary-general of the Guangdong Provincial Government read out the message of congratulations sent by Governor Huang Huahua. Chen Haosu made a report on the innovation of CPAFFC’s work in the past two years， and gave an explanation about the Outline of Nongovernmental Diplomacy (a draft for soliciting comments). CPAFFC Vice President Li Xiaolin made a summing–up speech at the closing ceremony. She pointed out， experience of the local friendship associations shows that they are now having clearer orientation for their work and more diversified channels to conduct external exchanges and more innovative ways of work. The striking feature of the local friendship associations is that they lay stress on serving local economic construction and pushing forward nongovernmental diplomacy through cultural exchanges.