Outstanding Contributions in Promoting People-to-People Friendship Recognized at the Presidents’ Ann

The outstanding contributions made by both local organizations and individuals in promoting people-to-people friendship were recognized for the first time with an awards ceremony held as part of the 2009 Annual Meeting of Presidents of China’s People’s Associations for Friendship with Foreign Countries as well as the Mid-Ninth National CPAFFC Council Meeting held in Jinan November 19 to 20， 2009.

In all， 23 organizations and 28 individuals from 27 provinces， autonomous regions and cities honored with the “Award for Contribution to Friendship between Peoples” received cups， medals and certificates from leaders of the CPAFFC.

The main task of the annual meeting was to review CPAFFC work during the past three years and discuss the characteristics and trends of people-to-people diplomatic work so as further promote the cause of people-to-people diplomacy in a spirit of reform and innovation. CPAFFC President Chen Haosu， Vice Presidents Li Xiaolin and Li Jianping and Secretary-General Luo Qin， Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee Liu Wei and Shandong Deputy Governor Cai Li- min attended the meeting， along with about 230 leading members of the people’s associations for friendship with foreign countries from various provinces， autonomous regions and cities.

They listened to the report on the work of the CPAFFC in the past three years made by Chen Haosu on behalf of the Executive Committee of the 9th CPAFFC National Council. Li Xiaolin gave a speech on the innovation and development of people-to-people diplomacy.

In his speech at the opening ceremony， Liu Wei said that， for a long time， the CPAFFC in coordination with the country’s overall diplomatic policy had rendered great support to localities in their exchanges and cooperation with foreign countries in the economic， scientific， technological， cultural and many other fields. Guided by the CPAFFC， Shandong had carried out a series of innovative activities that had helped to bring about a number of influential exchanges and cooperation projects， opened many channels for external exchanges and cooperation and made great contributions to provincial reform and opening up， economic construction and social development.

In the past three years， said Chen Haosu in presenting his work report， the CPAFFC had conscientiously followed the country’s independent foreign policy of peace， continuously expanded the areas， enriched the contents and created new ways of working and persisted in serving three overall interests: the country’s overalldiplomatic program， development of the motherland and world peace. Adhering to its aim of promoting friendship， cooperation， peace and development， the CPAFFC had made efforts to carry out all-directional， wide-ranging and multi-channel people-to-people friendly contacts. It had concentrated its efforts on developing friendship and cooperation with developing countries as the key link， developing friendly cooperation with neighboring countries， big countries and big country groups as the focus and conducting multilateral diplomacy， developing exchanges with non-governmental organizations and establishing relations with the countries that yet to establish diplomatic relations with China as a point of extension. It had strengthened cultural exchanges and cooperation and promoted healthy development of the work of the China International Friendship Cities Association， the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development and the China Service Center for Friendship and Cooperation with Foreign Countries， all of which have done much useful work and played an important role.

As to the CPAFFC’s future work， Chen Haosu said， first， it should work hard to promote multi-level and wide-ranging exchanges with foreign countries and promote external relations in a scientific way; second， it should actively carry out exchanges to enhance the influence of Chinese culture internationally; third， it should step up studies， strengthen management and promote a sound and fast development of the work of international friendship cities; fourth， it should actively develop its affiliated institutions.

Li Xioalin made a speech entitled “Emancipate the Mind and Make Development through Innovation to Continuously Create a New Situation in People-to-People Diplomacy”. She put forward four suggestions for developing people-to-people diplomacy in innovative practice: first， strengthen planning strategies， make great efforts to study the trend of overall development of people-to-people diplomacy and expand new points for highlighting and growth points for the work; second， persist in the people-oriented principle and work hard for the benefit and interests of the people so as to widen the base for development of people-to-people diplomacy; third， enhance the view of training qualified personnel and devote time and energy to train cadres that were the key to success in people-to-people diplomacy; fourth， continue to deepen reform and spare no efforts to make innovation in institutions and mechanism so as to ensure fundamentally the development of people-to-people diplomacy.