Ｔｒｅｅ Ｐｌａｎｔｉｎｇ ａｔ ｔｈｅ Ｍｉｎｇ Ｔｏｍｂｓ

More than 40 people from the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs of the CPAFFC and the Citibank Beijing Branch went to the China-US Friendship Forest at the Ming Tombs on April 10 to plant trees， contributing to the effort to make the Capital Beijing green and improve the living environment for the inhabitants. These trees also symbolize friendship between the Chinese and American people.

With the financial assistance from the Citigroup of the U. S.， the CPAFFC launched the project—China-US Friendship Forest—in 2002 near Zhaoling (a Ming Dynasty emperor’s mausoleum) in Changping District of Beijing. The staff members of the CPAFFC and the delegation of leaders of US China Peoples Friendship Association local branches， about 50 people all together， took part in the planting of the first batch of trees in the Forest. (Jiang Yingshan)

Exhibition of Paintings by Fu Yiyao

The CPAFFC mounted an exhibition of paintings by Fu Yiyao at the China National Museum of Fine Arts from April 15 to 26. As one of the activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the CPAFFC， the exhibition aimed to further promote the friendly exchanges between the cultural and art circles of China and Japan. On display were more than 200 paintings by Fu Yiyao， a Japanese painter of Chinese descent， reflecting Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges， the spread of Buddhism to Japan， Japanese folk customs and other subjects.

Ms Fu Yiyao， daughter of the great master of Chinese painting Fu Baoshi， is a noted painter active in the Japanese and world art circles today. She loved to practice painting since a very young age and has mastered the basic skill. Following her father’s footsteps， she went to Japan in 1980， studied successively at Musashino Art University and Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and later carried out her artistic and creative activities in Japan. With hard work and a pioneering spirit， she has formed her own painting style by learning from her father’s style while absorbing the essence of the Japanese painting techniques. She has held painting exhibitions in different places of Japan， Hong Kong， Singapore， Switzerland， the United States and the United Nations， which are well received by cultural figures of these places. Her works are collected by well-known temples and museums in Japan and other countries.

The centenary of the birth of Fu Baoshi falls in this year. By mounting her first exhibition in China in this commemorative year， Fu Yiyao wants to express her profound memory of her father and show the large number of Chinese art lovers the artistic achievement she has won in the past 25 years in Japan.

Present at the opening ceremony were State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan， CPAFFC President Chen Haosu， CPAFFC Vice President Chen Yongchang， President of the Buddhist Association of China Master Yicheng， former Japanese Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata， and a Japanese delegation of about 100 people that came to China with her in support of her exhibition. (Gao Hui)

Reception Marking 30 Years of China-Gabon Diplomatic Ties

The CPAFFC held a reception on April 20 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Gabon. Uyunqimg， vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress， Chen Haosu， president of the CPAFFC， Lu Guozeng， assistant foreign minister， Joseph Obiang-Ndoutoume， Gabonese ambassador to China， and leading members of the relevant departments， diplomats of the Gabonese Embassy and their wives， Gabonese students， personnel of the Gabonese organizations in China， totaling about 100 attended the reception.

In his speech President Chen Haosu spoke highly of the great importance the Gabonese Government attached to China-Gabon traditional friendship and its active political exchanges and friendly cooperation in all fields with China. He thanked the Gabonese Government for its one-China stand and the valuable support it had given to China on many occasions at the UN human rights meetings.

Ambassador Joseph Obiang-Ndoutoume said， President Hu Jintao’s visit to Gabon from February 1 to 3， 2004 has not only fully showed the good bilateral relations， but also the great importance the Chinese leadership attaches to the head of state and people of Gabon. He emphasized， Gabon values its traditional friendship with China and supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of China unswervingly and without reservation， especially China’s reunification and the policy of “one country， two systems”.

Fortieth Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations Between

China and Tanzania Marked

The CPAFFC and the Chinese-African People’s Friendship Association jointly held a banquet on April 26 to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Tanzania. Wang Yunze， CPAFFC vice president， Lu Shaye， deputy director general of the Department of African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs， Augustine Joachim Ngonyani， charge d’affaires ad interim， and diplomats of the Tanzanian Embassy and their wives， attended the banquet.

In his speech Wang Yunze highly praised China-Tanzania friendship and thanked the Tanzanian Government for its consistent adherence to the one China stance and its strong support for China on human rights and other major international issues. He expressed the hope that China-Tanzania friendship would continue to grow in the new century to benefit our two peoples. Ngonyani expressed gratitude to China for the series of economic and infrastructure facility projects it helped Tanzania build and reiterated Tanzania’s support for China’s principle of “one China， two systems”. He also wished China early reunification.

Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony for

Peace and Friendship Bell Pavilion Held

The foundation stone laying ceremony for the Peace and Friendship Bell Pavilion was held by the CPAFFC on May 21 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the CPAFFC.

CPAFFC President Chen Haosu said at the ceremony， the Peace and Friendship Bell Pavilion， the foundation stone of which we are laying today， will not only be a monument erected to commemorate 50 years of the CPAFFC， but also provide a lively and solid witness of its future. Fifty years of struggle has left glorious records in the annals of China’s people-to-people diplomacy. The CPAFFC will contribute more to enhancing people’s friendship， furthering international cooperation， safeguarding world peace and promoting common development in the years to come.

The president announced that the Peace and Friendship Bell for the 50th anniversary of the CPAFFC began casting. Representatives of friendship-with-China organizations， members of the Eighth National Council of the CPAFFC and staff of the CPAFFC shoveled earth around the foundation stone.

Attending Sixth International IFDMYE Conference

A 21-member Chinese youth exchange delegation led by CPAFFC Vice President Wang Yunze visited Denmark from May 10 to 21 and attended the Sixth International Conference of the International Forum of Decision Makers on Youth and School Exchange (IFDMYE) held in Odense， Denmark.

Fifty-one representatives from 7 countries attended the conference sponsored by the Youth and Children Department of the Odense City Government. The participants discussed the four topics of Youth Exchange for All—strategies to involve young people with poor possibilities to participate in Youth Exchanges， Training for the Trainers—education and support to youth leaders and organizations who are working with youth exchange， Securing Quality in Projects Concerning Youth Exchange， and Networking—establishment and development of steady and strong networks.

Cooperation Agreement Between Chinese and Spanish

Travel Agencies Signed

The signing ceremony of the cooperation agreement between China Swan International Tours and Iberica Overseas of Spain was held on June 7 at the Friendship Museum of the CPAFFC. It is one of the projects under the China-Spain Forum (CSF).

Chen Haosu， president of the CPAFFC and executive chairman of the CSF Chinese Committee， and Don Jose Pedro Sebastian de Erice， Spanish ambassador to China， spoke at the ceremony. Yu Wen， general manager of China Swan International Tours and Sergio Delegado， general manager of Iberica Overseas of Spain also made speeches and signed the agreement.

Present at the signing ceremony were Su Guang， CPAFFC vice president and vice chairman of the CSF Chinese Committee， Yin Shenglun， director general of the Department of European and Asian Affairs and secretary general of the CSF Chinese Committee， He Ruipeng， deputy secretary general of the CSF Chinese Committee， as well as reporters from the Chinese and Spanish media.

Ambassador Ahmed Haggag Gives Lecture on AU at CPAFFC

At the invitation of the CPAFFC， Ambassador Ahmed Haggag， former assistant secretary general of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and president of Africa Society of Egypt， visited China from June 7 to 14， 2004. On the afternoon of June 8， Ambassador Haggag gave a lecture on “Africa: Between Hope and Reality” at the Friendship Museum of the CPAFFC.

In his lecture， Ambassador Haggag recalled the founding and the development of the OAU and its evolution to the African Union (AU). He also talked about the set-ups under the AU including its Pan-African Parliament， its Peace-keeping Force and its initiation of the New Partnership for African Development. He spoke highly of the Chinese and African political and economic cooperation since the late premier Zhou Enlai’s first visit to Africa 40 years ago， especially the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Mme. Yang Lihua from the Institute of West Asian and African Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and other Chinese scholars， the ambassadors of Egypt， Cote d’Ivoire， Somalia and Djibouti as well as other diplomats from the embassies of Ethiopia， South Africa and Namibia had a lively discussion with Ambassador Haggag on African conflicts， future development and other issues.

The council members of the CPAFFC and the Chinese–African People’s Friendship Association， representatives of Xinhua News Agency， Beijing Review， China Today and other media attended the lecture. (Lin Yi)