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At the invitation of the CPAFFC, a 30-member youth delegation of the Secours Populaire Francais (SPF) visited China from August 10 to 18, 2008. Through organizing the Chinese and French young people to watch the Olympic Games together, the visit aimed to enhance understanding and friendship and promote the Olympic spirit. During their visit, the delegation went to Gansu Province to attend the inauguration of the Friendship Water Cellars built with the SPFs fund, watched Olympic games together with the students coming from the Dongqi Middle School of Hanwang County, Mianzhu City which suffered severe damage in the Sichuan earthquake and the Beijing No. 22 Middle School, and participated in the Chinese and French youth social activities.

Founded in 1945, the SPF is one of the most influential non-profit public organizations in France. Since June 2007 when the CPAFFC established contacts with the SPF, the two organizations have cooperated in three undertakings: 1. Building 100 water cellars (including hand piston pumps) in Zhaona village of Tianshui city, Gansu, with 220,000 yuan in total provided by the SPF. The construction was started in April and completed in August, 2008. 2. After the Sichuan earthquake, a delegation of the SPF came to China in July to deliver their donation of tents and other urgently-needed relief supplies worth 250,000 yuan to the earthquake-stricken area, and promised a further donation of 1.5 million yuan for the reconstruction of the earthquake-stricken area in Sichuan. 3. During the Olympic Games, the SPF organized the youth delegation to visit China and participate in and experience the event together with Chinese young people. In the delegation, 18 members aged between 13 and 18 were from poor families in 15 northern French cities. Among the 18 students selected by the Chinese side, 10 were from the Dongqi Middle School, who had done outstanding deeds during the earthquake and came to Beijing for the first time.

In Tianshui

Zhaona village of Qingshui County of Tianshui City, Gansu Province, was selected to try out the water cellar project.

On the afternoon of August 13, the delegation arrived at Zhaona village and joined the villagers at the inauguration of the water cellars. Their arrival was warmly welcomed by the whole village, with resounding drums and gongs and cracking of firecrackers. The representative of the village said, despite the thousands of miles between China and France, the French people came here to help us build water cellars. Now, 100 families of our village could easily get water and no longer needed to walk for miles to get water at the foot of the mountain. The people of Zhaona village would remember the French people and their friendship forever. Daniele Dohey-Blaise, head of the delegation, was deeply moved by the villagers and their enthusiasm and said, the SPF was gratified that it could help the Chinese people solve the most urgent problem. The 100 water cellars project was simply a beginning of our cooperation and the French side would continue to make efforts to help more people with their problem of drinking water.

Part of the fund used for the first stage of the water cellar project was donated by the French young people who earned the money by doing part-time jobs after school. When they saw the condition in the Chinese rural area and how the villagers welcomed them, many students were moved to tears. They found it immensely meaningful for them to make efforts and help the villagers there solve the problem of water shortage, and many of them said they would do all that they could to financially aid the local students.

After the ceremony, the delegation inspected the completed water cellars and then went to visit the elementary school of Zhaona village. All the pupils and the teachers lined up at the school gate to welcome the delegation. In a shabby classroom, the headmaster briefed the guests about the school. The whole delegation, especially the young students, was shocked by the tough conditions in Chinas countryside. On behalf of the SPF, head of the delegation Mme Dohey-Blaise donated a batch of sport goods and stationery to the school, while the French students gave stationery to over a hundred Chinese students and the children of the villagers at the scene, making a warm and moving picture.

In Zhaona village, Daniel Vermeire, board member of the SPF and specialist on agricultural development from the Northern Region of France, had a discussion with two specialists of the Tianshui Academy of Agricultural Sciences on potato processing in the city. Having learned about the situation of the local potato growing and its needs for processing, Mr. Vermeire said he would try to provide them with improved potato variety that they need and help them get in contact with potential cooperation partners in France so as to promote Sino-French cooperation in agricultural research and development.

To express their profound gratitude, Zhaona village presented to their foreign guests a silk banner with inscription saying “Sino-French friendship deep and large, water cellars moisten our hearts”. During their stay in China, some members of the delegation said once and again that their visit to Gansu had left them a very deep impression and the activities in Zhaona village made their most wonderful day in China.

The Beijing Olympic Games

On August 16 and 17, the delegation, together with the students of the Dongqi Middle School of Sichuan and the Beijing No. 22 Middle School, toured the National Stadium and the Olympic Green, and watched track and field and gymnastics competition, and basketball and hockey matches. Members of the delegation made positive comments on the construction of the Olympic venues, the athletes spirit and Chinas sports development.

They said, what they saw in China was different from what they had imagined. Mrs.Nicole Panine-Vermeire said, this visit to China verified an old Chinese saying that “seeing is believing”. She would never believe the anti-China propaganda by the media. The delegates said that Chinese people were very hospitable and friendly; there were nothing like xenophobia and ultra-nationalism described by the western media; no pedestrians wearing masks. Instead, there were blue sky and white clouds, blooming flowers and lush grass. The Olympic venues and various sports facilities were complete and modernized. Beijing provided athletes from all over the world with a vast platform to display the grace and charm of competitive sports. Philippe Lamblin, president of the la Ligue regionale dathletisme, said Beijing successfully showed her charm to the world; “the high level of the Beijing Olympic Games will be unsurpassable in future Olympics”.

Youth Exchanges

The youth exchange activities is an important content of the delegations visit to China. On the morning of August 12, the French young people had the first meet-and-greet with the students of the Beijing No. 22 Middle School in the CPAFFC. Present at the meeting were CPAFFC President Chen Haosu, Vice President Li Jianping, French Minister of Health, Youth, Sportsand Associations Mrs. Bachelot-Narquin, and French Ambassador to China Herve Ladsous. President Chen Haosu and Minister Bachelot-Narquin fully supported and praised the activity. Minister Bachelot-Narquin said, it was the first time that she felt deeply that youth, sports and associations could so closely linked up. The activity brought youth, sports, peace and future together gaining significant and profound meaning.

On the afternoon of August 16, the delegation joined the students of the Beijing No. 22 Middle School and the Sichuan Dongqi Middle School in a social activity held at the No. 22 Middle School. The Jinfan Orchestra of the school gave a symphony performance. Head of the delegation expressed her hope to invite the orchestra to France. After that, the Chinese and French students played basketball and table tennis matches and some fun games. In a warm, friendly and lively atmosphere, the young people spent three happy and unforgettable hours together.

Ina short period of three days, Chinese and French students have established friendship and found it hard to part with each other. At the farewell, in tears they said goodbye. Head of the delegation Mme Dohey-Blaise said, young people are the successors and bearers of friendship between the peoples, and friendship between the youth is the solid foundation for lasting friendship between the two peoples. One was really happy to see the children making friends with one another and becoming the reserve for carrying on the Sino-French friendship. She said, she would organize another youth exchange activity at the time of the London Olympic Games in 2012 to carry on the friendly dialogue between the Chinese and French young people.