Delegation of Space Camp Turkey Orbits China

five-member delegation led by Mr. Scott Woodham， General Manager of the Space Camp Turkey， visited China from April 26 to May 4 at the invitation of the CPAFFC. In Beijing， Lin Yi， Vice President of the CPAFFC， hosted a welcome luncheon attended by Turkish Ambassador Mr. Ali Murat Ersoy. The delegation toured Chengdu， Guilin and Shanghai and also visited Chengdu Guangya School and the Shanghai Aerospace Enthusiast’s Center.

Lin Yi thanked Space Camp Turkey for offering scholarships to China since 2009 and arranging for Chinese students to participate in the international space camp in Turkey through the CPAFFC. This year， the CPAFFC will send 17 students from Hubei Province to take part in the summer camp.

The CPAFFC attaches importance to developing the friendly relations with Turkey. It has long maintained frequent exchanges with the Turkish Chinese Friendship Association， the Turkish Chinese Women’s Friendship Culture Association and Space Camp Turkey. These organizations have become important channels for advancing bilateral friendly relations.

Mr. Woodham thanked the CPAFFC for its warm hospitality and thoughtful arrangements. He said his organization had long-term cooperation with NASA of the U.S. in training youngsters between the age of nine and 15 from various countries and providing them with a platform for communication. He expressed the hope that by participating in the camp’s activities， the teenagers would enhance friendship， learn to respect each other and understand the cultural diversity of the world.

Space Camp Turkey wished to strengthen cooperation with the CPAFFC and work together with it to promote international youth exchanges， he added.

Ambassador Ersoy said that cooperation between the CPAFFC and Turkish Chinese Friendship Association， Turkish Chinese Women’s Friendship Culture Association and Space Camp Turkey played a positive role in increasing bilateral friendly exchanges. The Turkish Embassy in China would continue to cooperate with the CPAFFC to further expand the work on the establishment of friendship-city relations and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

During its visit in Chengdu， the delegation exchanged views with the Sichuan Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries on the construction of economic zones. As Space Camp Turkey was founded by the Aegean Free Zone in Izmir， Mr. Woodham expressed the willingness to actively promote experience-sharing between the zone and Sichuan Province.

In Guilin， Ning Song， Deputy Director of the city’s Foreign Affairs Office， briefed the delegation on the friendship-city exchanges between Guilin and Murat Pasha of Turkey. Mr. Woodham said he welcomed the Guilin city delegation to visit Izmir when it is next in Turkey to conduct exchanges with its friendship city Murat Pasha to discuss cooperation in space know-ledge education for young people.