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Cooperation Agreement Signed Between CPAFFC and HSF

An agreement on cooperation between the CPAFFC and the Hanns Seidel Foundation was signed in Beijing on October 24， 2003.

The agreement sets forth the framework of cooperation between the two sides and concrete forms and programmes of cooperation. The two sides will regularly carry out exchanges between parliamentarians of the two countries， hold seminars on regional development， provide scholarships to poor university students in China's western region， exchange high-level delegations， and conduct cultural exchanges， etc.

Hanns Seidel Foundation， set up in 1966 with its head office in Munich， is one of the major political foundations in Germany. It maintains close contact with the German political and business circles and has solid financial strength and great ability to organize social activities. It has carried out activities in a number of countries. Since they established links in 1979， the CPAFFC and Hanns Seidel Foundation have conducted exchanges and cooperation at different levels and in various fields， contributing to the development of China-Germany relations.

CPAFFC President Chen Haosu and Deputy Secretary General of Hanns Seidel Foundation Dr. Rainer Gepperth signed the agreement. (By Lu Hongwei)

Yancheng City Delegation Visits San Diego County of the U. S.

Yancheng City of Jiangsu Province and San Diego County of California have carried out several substantial exchanges and their friendly relations have seen sound and steady development since the two signed the agreement of intention on the establishment of friendship-city relations in April 2002. When Ron Roberts， supervisor of the Fourth District of San Diego County Board of Supervisors， visited Yancheng in October 2003， the two localities agreed to twin friendship-city/county ties. In November 2003， a Yancheng City delegation led by Yuan Shizhu， deputy secretary of the Yancheng City Committee of the Communist Party of China， paid a return visit to San Diego.

The Yancheng City delegation had sincere and frank talks with the heads of the San Diego County on the friendly exchanges and cooperation in the areas of economy， trade， science， technology， culture and education between the two localities， and visited the County's urban planning and construction committee. The delegation also attended a grand welcoming reception given by the overseas Chinese there and had extensive contact with personages of the industrial， business， cultural and educational circles. On November 20， the delegation was invited to attend， as distinguished guests， the celebration of the 26th anniversary of the founding of San Diego World Trade Centre and the annual award conferring ceremony. Yuan Shizhu made a warm speech on the occasion， which was well received.

The delegation also held talks with heads of San Diego County on the County's building of Yancheng-San Diego Friendship Garden， a symbol of friendship in Yancheng. In return， Yancheng will present a sculpture of red-crowned cranes to San Diego with local characteristics， which symbolizes friendship， good luck and longevity. A large number of red-crowned cranes dwell on the coastal wetland of Yancheng. The people of San Diego also love these rare birds. The sculpture will become a symbol of lasting friendship between the two localities. San Diego County will send the first batch of 3 woman postgraduates of the University of California to Yancheng on a 2-week English teaching programme in 2004， give financial assistance to a number of poor students with high moral character and good academic performance， and carry out other assistance programmes. (By Ji Weijun)

Protocol on Establishment of China-Bahrain Entrepreneurs Committee Signed in Beijing

A 9-member delegation of Bahraini Entrepreneurs' Association led by its president Khalid Abdulrahman Almoayed paid a friendly visit to Beijing and Shanghai in early December 2003 at the invitation of the CPAFFC. The China-Arab Friendship Association held talks with the Bahraini Entrepreneurs' Association and signed the Protocol on the Establishment of the Committee of China-Bahrain Entrepreneurs.

According to the Protocol， the Committee consists of decision makers in the fields of industry， trade， banking， finance， investment， insurance， tourism， agriculture， construction， etc. and specialists in law， accounting and investment from China and Bahrain. An executive committee is elected on each side to represent entrepreneurs of their respective country.

The Committee will work for the development of friendly relations between the entrepreneurs， especially the decision makers of the two countries， give business information of their respective countries to the entrepreneurs， provide opportunities for bilateral economic cooperation， and promote export， commodity and service trade and other activities between the two countries.

The Protocol stipulates that Chinese and Bahraini sides each elects a chairman to lead its executive committee and a secretariat. The annual meeting of the Committee will be held in turn in the two countries and chaired by the chairmen of both executive committees. (By Duan Beisheng)

Attending 22nd General Assembly of CONGO and World Summit on Information Society

A CPAFFC delegation headed by its vice president Li Xiaolin attended the 22nd General Assembly of the Conference of NGOs (CONGO) and the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva from December 4 to 12， 2003.

CONGO， founded in 1948， is an international organization that assists and coordinates nongovernmental organizations in consultative status with the United Nations to participate in the discussions of issues at the UN. Its General Assembly convenes every 3 years. The 22nd General Assembly was held from December 4 to 6 with more than 200 people from over 100 NGOs attending. The theme of the meeting was global governance. Four simultaneous thematic roundtables on peace， security and disarmament， human rights， sustainable human development， and information communication technologies for development were held. It was the first meeting the CPAFFC attended since it became a member of CONGO in 2002. A member of our delegation made a speech at the roundtable meeting on information communication technologies for development and the delegation submitted written speeches to the Assembly on sustainable human development and other topics. Ms. Renate Bloem， president of CONGO， was re-elected for another term.

The World Summit on the Information Society was held in accordance with the resolutions of the UN General Assembly and against the background of profound changes the world is undergoing from the industrial society of the 20th century to the information society of the 21st century. It was sponsored by the International Telecommunication Union and had an attendance of over 12，000 people. Heads of government from nearly 60 countries attended the summit meeting and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was present and spoke at the meeting. Wang Xudong， minister of information industry led the Chinese delegation to the meeting and made a speech at the meeting. About 300 forums and workshops were held in conjunction with the meeting， covering a wide range of topics. Besides， the governments， organizations and companies from 80 countries set up more than 200 exhibition stalls， displaying the world's latest telecommunication products and programmes for international cooperation. The meeting not only discussed questions concerning telecommunication technology， information management and security， what's more， it explored the impact of telecommunication technology on society and the problems hence induced in an attempt to achieve social equality， justice and sustainable development in the information society and look for ways and draw up concrete measures to benefit the humanity. (By Duan Jun)

Korean Children's Delegation in Beijing

Invited by the CPAFFC， a 26-member youth delegation from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea visited Beijing from December 9 to 13， 2003.

In 2002， British friend Eric Hotung set up the China-Korea (DPRK) Friendly Exchange Fund under the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development， which is earmarked for the exchanges between the Chinese and Korean youth and children and an exchange programme was carried out the same year. In August 2002， a Chinese youth and children's delegation led by CPAFFC Vice President Li Xiaolin paid a 5-day visit to the DPRK at the invitation of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League. The visit of the Korean youth delegation to China was a continuation of the exchange activities of last year.

On the evening of December 12， the young students of the Korean delegation， together with the Chinese students， staged an excellent performance at the concert hall of the Middle School attached to the Central Conservatory of Music. The beautiful dancing and enchanting singing of the Korean students and the high performing skills demonstrated by the Chinese students enraptured the audience.

The Korean delegation was composed of 16- to 17-year-old students of Kim Sung College， which is known for its training of personnel in high technology and arts. The students of its arts department have made performance tours in many countries. They had made ample preparations to ensure the success of their visit to China and to convey the Korean people's friendship for the Chinese people.

Lam Kin Chung Morning Sun China-Japan Friendship Fund Set up

Lam Kin Chung Morning Sun Charity Fund of Hong Kong has decided to donate， from January 2004， 100，000 RMB yuan each year for 5 consecutive years， which totals 500，000 RMB yuan， to set up the Lam Kin Chung Morning Sun China-Japan Friendship Fund under the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development to finance friendly exchanges between China and Japan. The donation ceremony was held at the Friendship Museum of the CPAFFC on December 8， 2003. CPAFFC Vice President Chen Yongchang was present at the ceremony.

First Annual Meeting of Local Friendship Association Presidents Held

The first annual meeting of presidents of China's local friendship associations with foreign countries was held in Beijing from January 7 to 8， 2004. Presidents or vice presidents， secretaries general and representatives of 31 provinces， autonomous regions and municipalities and 15 major cities totaling 88 people attended the meeting. The meeting promoted understanding among local friendship associations and between local friendship associations and the CPAFFC and enhanced contact between them， which is helpful to the unfolding of future activities.