Ｍｅｓｓａｇｅｓ ｏｆ Ｃｏｎｇｒａｔｕｌａｔｉｏｎ ｆｒｏｍ Ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓｈｉｐ－ｗｉｔｈ－Ｃｈｉｎａ Ｏｒｇａｎｉｚａｔｉｏｎｓ ａｎｄ Ｐｅｒｓｏｎａｇｅｓ ｏｎ ＣＰＡＦＦＣ ５０ｔｈ Ａｎ

The CPAFFC greeted its 50th birthday on May 3， 2004. Friendship-with-China organizations and friendly personages of many countries sent messages of congratulation to the CPAFFC. They include Martti Ahtisaari， former Finnish president; Gough Whitlam and Robert J. L. Hawke， former prime ministers of Australia; Thomas Klestil， president of Austria; Heinz Fischer， president elect of Austria; Wolfgang Schussel， federal chancellor of Austria; Benita Ferrero-Waldner， Austrian foreign minister; Mag. Barbara Prammer， first vice president of the Austrian National Council; Ludwig Bieringer， club president of the People’s Party in the Austrian National Council and former president of the Austrian Federal Council; Helmut Sohmen， honorary president of the Austrian Association for Promotion of Friendship and Cultural Relations with China and president of the Sohmen-China Foundation; Gian Franco Terenzi， former captain regent of San Marino and president of the San Marino-China Friendship Association; Sergei Mironov， chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly; Sergey Lavrov， Russian foreign minister; V. V. Tereshkova， world’s first woman astronaut and president of the Russia International Cooperation Association; S. L. Tikhvinsky and Mikhail Titarenko， honorary president and president of the Russia-China Friendship Association; B. Gromov and S. Paramonov， president and vice president of the Russia Twin Cities International Association; N. G. Eliseeva， president of Saint Petersburg International Cooperation Association; N. A. Speshnev， president of Saint Petersburg Russia-China Friendship Association; E. Ametistov and V. Korolev， president and vice president of the Russian Association of Friendship and Cooperation with China; Yasser Arafat， president of Palestine National Authority and the State of Palestine; Turar Koichuev， president of the Kyrgyzstan-China Friendship Association; Stefan Nawrot， president of the Association of Cooperation “Poland-East” of Poland; Rainer Dold， president of the Association for German-Chinese Friendship Stuttgart; Countess Monika von Borries， president of the Association for Germany-China Friendship Donnesberg; Lin Tengrootenhuysen and An Tengrootenhuysen， vice president and administrator of the Belgium-China Association; Spanish Association of Friends of China; John Chinnery and Elsie Collier， honorary president and vice chairperson of the Scotland-China Association; Alain Labat， president of the Federation of French-Chinese Associations; Reno Calleja， president of the Malta China Friendship Society; Daisaku Ikeda， president of Soka Gakkai International of Japan; Takeshi Noda and Shinichiro Shiranishi， president and director-general of the Japan-China Society; Sen Soshitsu and Sen Genshitsu， present and former grand master of the Japanese tea ceremony school Urasenke; the Japan-China Drama Exchange Theatre; Koichi Nomura， Executive director of the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association， Barbara Harrison， president of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association; Michael Copeland， president of the Federation of Canada-China Friendship Associations; Margaret Cooper and William Willmott， national president and former national president of the New Zealand-China Friendship Society; Moises Sio Wong， chairman of the Cuba-China Friendship Association; Oyden Ortega Duran， president of the Panamanian Association of Friendship with China; Abelardo Mella Quezada and Dario de la Fuente Duarte， president and first vice president of the Chilean-Chinese Institute of Culture; Oscar Vega， president of the Bolivian Association for Friendship with China; Juvencio Wing Shum， president of the Mexican Society for Friendship with People’s China; Jose Maria Gomez， president of the Colombia-China Friendship Association; President Eduardo Yong Motta， Vice President Roberto Rendon Vasquez and Secretary General Teresa Joo de Siu of the Peruvian-Chinese Cultural Institute; Kemal Baytas， president of the Turkey-China Friendship Association; Tan Atac， president of the Turkey-China Women’s Friendship and Culture Association; Tefera Waluwa， minister of capacity building of Ethiopia; Kim Ming Kenneth Ka， secretary general of the South Africa-China Friendship Association; V. N. Chibundu， president of the Nigeria-China Friendship Association; Ayub Sooma， president of the Uganda-China Friendship Association; Dinos Florides and Cai Weizhou， president and vice president of the Cyprus-China Friendship Association; Djibaba Soilihi Thani， president of the Association for Comoros-China Friendship; Florence Benstrong， mayor of Seychelles’ capital Victoria; K. C. Li Kwong Wing， president of Mauritius China Friendship and Cultural Association; Adi Eldar， president of the Union of Local Authorities in Israel; Erwin D. Eisenberg， chairman of the Council for the Promotion of Israel-China Relations; Khalid Al-Talawina and Faiz Nawar， president and secretary general of the Jordan-China Friendship Association; Abdulla bin Salem Al-Rawas， chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Jamal Abdul Kaligh Al-Khulani， president of the Yemeni-Chinese Friendship Association; Mahjoubi Ahardane， president of Morocco-China Friendship Association; Mourad Khalib and Nouri Abdul-Razagh， chairman and secretary general of the Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organization; Sulaiman Kadaha， president of Syria-China Friendship Association; Suleiman Al Shahoumi， secretary of foreign affairs at the General People’s Congress of Libya; Rafaa Dkhil， president of Tunisian-Chinese Friendship Association; Iran-China Friendship Society; Hassan Tavana， member of the Iran-China Friendship Society and president of Islamic Republic News Agency—Beijing; Mahinda Rajapaksa， prime minister of Sri Lanka; Amaradasa Gunawardena， president of Sri Lanka China Society; Nandasena Madawanarachchi and Indrananda Abeysekara， president and executive secretary of the Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation; Anwarul Amin， president of the Bangladesh-China People’s Friendship Association; M. Delwar Hossain， secretary general of the Bangladesh-China Friendship Centre; Dipak Sarkar， president of World Cultural Net of Nepal; the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries of Korea (DPRK); the Korea (DPRK)-China Friendship Association; Korea (ROK) China Friendship Association; Lee Si Young， president of Korea (ROK) Cultural Exchange Foundation， Inc.; Lee Hoon Bok， president of Korean (ROK) Society in China; Bae Heung Soo， chief representative of Beijing Representative Office of the Korea (ROK) Council of Local Government for International Relations; Cho Young Ho， president of the Korea (ROK) Council of Local Government for International Relations; Jo Byung In， vice president of the Korea (ROK)-China Friendship Association; Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh， deputy prime minister of Thailand and president of Thailand-China Culture and Economy Association; Ackaratorn Chularat， president of the Supreme Administrative Court of Thailand; Malaysia-China Friendship Association; Koe Teng Hong， president of Soka Gakkai Malaysia; Tan Sri William Cheng Heng Jem， chairman of Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia; Sia Yong， president of Singa Sino Friendship Association; the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations; and the Vietnam-China Friendship Association. Canadian Ambassador to China Joseph Caron， Australian Ambassador to China Alan William Thomas， Vietnamese Ambassador to China Tran Van Luat， Azerbaijani Ambassador to China Yashar Aliyev， Nepalese Ambassador to China Narendra Raj Panday， Kuwaiti Ambassador to China Faisal Al-Ghais， and the ambassadors of the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council to China， and First Secretary of the Embassy of Papua New Guinea Lahui Ako also sent congratulatory messages.

In his message of congratulation， Austrian President Klestil said， the CPAFFC has made great contributions to advancing Austria-China relations. Your Association takes enhancing people-to-people contacts as the aim of its work， which is an important supplement to bilateral state exchanges. He wished the CPAFFC greater success in promoting understanding， peace and friendship between Austria and China.

Yasser Arafat， president of the Palestine National Authority， expressed his most sincere greetings and heart-felt congratulations to all the comrades of the CPAFFC. He wished that the long friendly cooperative relations between the Palestinian people and the great people of China as well as the CPAFFC be continuously deepened and consolidated.

S. Mironov， chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly， said in his message， the Russian Federation attaches great importance to the unremitting efforts made by the CPAFFC over the years to enhance peace and friendship between the people of our two countries as well as its important contributions to developing and consolidating bilateral relations in various fields. All its activities have proved the correctness of the policy adopted by Russia and China to strengthen their strategic partnership and dialogue on the basis of equality and trust， which is written in the Sino-Russian Good-Neighbourly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 2001. At the same time， its activities also conform to the fundamental interests of the people of Russia and China. Chairman Mironov wished the CPAFFC new successes in its lofty， important and useful work of strengthening friendship between the Russian and Chinese peoples.

Helmut Sohmen， honorary president of the Austrian Association for Promotion of Friendship and Cultural Relations with China and president of the Sohmen-China Foundation， extended warm congratulations to the CPAFFC on its 50th anniversary on behalf of the AAPFCRC and the Foundation and in his own name. He said， the CPAFFC has made very important contributions to promoting understanding between the Chinese and other peoples and safeguarding world peace. He wished that the two friendship organizations would work in collaboration in the years ahead and make greater contributions to enhancing understanding and friendship between the people of Austria and China.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh who is also president of the Thailand-China Culture and Economy Association， said in his congratulatory message， the CPAFFC has grown up gradually under the guidance of Chairman Mao Zedong and the direct leadership of Premier Zhou Enlai and played an important role in developing friendly relations between China and other countries of the world， enhancing friendship between the Chinese and Thai people and maintaining world peace and stability. He wished that the CPAFFC would continue to make progress through persistent efforts and carrying forward its fine traditions.

In his message of congratulation， Daisaku Ikeda， president of Soka Gakkai International， wrote， since its founding in May 1954， your Association has carried out exchanges with all countries of the world and achieved great success. There is an old Chinese saying: One generation plants the trees in whose shade another generation rests. How arduous it is to open up the road to friendship in the world! The gentlemen of your Association have taken pains to plant one tree of friendship after another so that we can enjoy peace and stability under them. May your Association embark on a new journey towards the 100th anniversary.

President Takeshi Noda and Director-General Shinichiro Shiranishi of the Japan-China Society said， since its inception， your Association， by vigorously carrying out China’s foreign policy of peace， has made tremendous contributions to world peace. Your Association and the China-Japan Friendship Association have played an extremely important role in enhancing mutual understanding and developing friendly and cooperative relations with our country in particular， for which the Japan-China Society expressed profound respects.

In their message， Mourad Khalib and Nouri Abdul-Razagh， president and secretary general of the Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organization (AAPSO)， said， since its establishment 50 years ago， the CPAFFC has maintained good relations with several hundred organizations in more than 130 countries and made contributions to furthering understanding， enhancing friendship and expanding cooperation between the people of China and the world. The AAPSO wishes the friendly fraternal CPAFFC continued progress and development in its work to promote friendship between the people of Asia and the southern countries， especially Africa.

Kuwaiti Ambassador to China Faisal Al-Ghais wrote in his congratulatory message， the CPAFFC has achieved eye-catching great successes in developing and strengthening friendship and cooperation between the people of China and other countries of the world. The CPAFFC has played an effective role in promoting the economic growth and the development of people-to-people diplomatic relations， and has become a bridge linking the Chinese and other peoples.

Juvencio Wing Shum， president of the Mexican Society for Friendship with People’s China， said， since its founding 50 years ago， your Association has overcome all difficulties and obstacles and won one victory after another， which has greatly promoted the friendly relations between the people of China and the world. He expressed the hope that the CPAFFC would， with the cooperation of the people of the world， continue its unfinished cause， for the civilization pursued and the goals to achieve by the people of your country are the common objectives of the friendly people of all countries.

Cho Young Ho， president of the Korea (ROK) Council of Local Government for International Relations， pointed out， in the past 50 years， your Association has continuously strengthened exchanges and friendship with all countries of the world through its contact with friendship organizations of other countries. Especially in recent years， your Association has kept close links with our Council and contributed greatly to the promotion of friendship between the people of ROK and China and the enhancement of exchanges between our two countries and between the local governments of our two countries.

Koe Teng Hong， president of Soka Gakkai Malaysia， wrote in his letter of congratulations， the CPAFFC has advanced bravely through the years of turbulence in the past half a century and made unremitting efforts and great contributions to promoting cultural and friendly exchanges among the peoples of the world， and to maintaining world peace， especially to helping bring about the establishment of diplomatic relations， friendly relations and cooperation between Malaysia and China， and achieved outstanding achievements. Warm Congratulations!

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and the Vietnam-China Friendship Association extended warmest congratulations to the CPAFFC and the Chinese people. The message reads， in the past 5 decades， the CPAFFC has organized many activities with the aim of promoting the friendly relations between the Chinese and other peoples of the world， contributing to the raising of China’s standing in the international arena. Vietnam and China are neighbours joined by mountains and rivers. There exists long and traditional friendship between our two peoples. The Vietnamese people have received great and effective assistance from the fraternal Chinese people in their struggle to win national independence and the construction of their motherland. This also includes the valuable contributions made by your Association. They expressed the willingness to cooperate closely with the CPAFFC and make greater efforts for the lasting friendship between Vietnam and China.

In his message of congratulation， SLCS President Amaradasa Gunawardena said: “On this memorable occasion of celebrating the golden jubilee of the CPAFFC the Sri Lanka China Society feels proud to have had close contact with this important organization during the last two decades. We are confident that the friendly hand extended by the CPAFFC will usher in a new period of all-round development. It will certainly ‘make friends extensively， increase understanding and strengthen cooperation’ as inscribed by President Jiang Zemin of the People’s Republic of China in 1994. In appreciation of the remarkable contribution made towards the promotion of friendship and mutual understanding between the Chinese and other peoples of the world， we of the Sri Lanka China Society wish to congratulate the President， Vice Presidents and all the members of the CPAFFC on this memorable occasion.”