ＣＰＡＦＦＣ Ｄｅｌｅｇａｔｉｏｎ ｉｎ Ｄｅｎｍａｒｋ ａｎｄ Ｉｃｅｌａｎｄ

A CPAFFC delegation headed by its vice president Li Jianping made a working visit to Denmark and Iceland from April 16 to 24 at the invitation of the Denmark-China Friendship Association (DCFA) and the Icelandic-Chinese Cultural Society (ICCS).

Conferring the Title of Friendship Ambassador on ICCS Vice President Arnthor Helgason

On April 22， a ceremony to confer the title of Friendship Ambassador on Arnthor Helgason， vice president of the ICCS， by the CPAFFC was held in the Chinese Embassy in Iceland. CPAFFC Vice President Li Jianping said in his speech， Mr. Helgason， an outstanding representative of the ICCS， is the first handicapped person among the over 70 recipients of this title who have made prominent contribution to promoting friendship with China. In his work for friendship with China over the past 40 years， he has done a great deal to enhance mutual understanding and exchanges between the Chinese and Icelandic peoples in spite of his physical disability of being blind. In his speech， Chinese Ambassador Zhang Keyuan spoke highly of the outstanding contribution Helgason and the ICCS have made to expanding cultural exchanges and increasing friendship between the people of China and Iceland. On behalf of the ICCS， President Olafur Egilsson expressed thanks to the CPAFFC for conferring the title of Friendship Ambassador on Helgason. Helgason gave a thank-you address amid warm applause. He said: “I am honoured and pleased to accept the title Ambassador of Friendship. This nomination is an honour not only to me， because I see it as recognition of the Icelandic Chinese Cultural Society and an indication of how valuable good relations with the Icelandic people are. …my job would have been unsuccessful without the assistance and cooperation of many people. I heartily thank them for their efforts. I would like to send my regards to the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries， Chen Haosu and his staff. It is my wish that Icelandic-Chinese collaboration， mutual respect and understanding be strengthened with each passing year， for the joy and benefit of both nations.”

Looking for Opportunities for Cooperation

Promoting seminar series on agriculture between China and Europe.During the visit， the delegation had working meetings on agricultural cooperation with Johnny Sotrup， mayor of Esbjerg of Denmark， and Sigurgeir Thorgeirsson， permanent secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture， and specialists from the Agricultural University of Iceland. Li Jianping gave a brief account of the present economic development in China and CPAFFC’s plan to hold the first China-Europe seminar on rural development in Sichuan. Mayor Sotrup told the delegation， the Region of Southern Denmark where Esbjerg is located attaches great importance to cooperation with China. It has set up an office in Suzhou. It would actively extend fields of cooperation and look for projects to cooperate with the CPAFFC. Permanent Secretary Thorgeirsson pointed out， Iceland is advanced in fishery and water and soil conservation. The specialists from the Agricultural University of Iceland expressed the hope to carry out exchanges in animal husbandry and the prevention of water loss， soil erosion and desertification with the provinces in western China through cooperation between universities， academic studies， personnel training， etc.， and learn from each other’s experience.

On-the-spot study of geothermal energy projects. The delegation held talks with Reykjavik Energy Invest and Geysir Green Energy of Iceland and listened to the analysis and suggestions made by Icelandic specialists on the development and utilization of geothermal resources in China and explored the possibility for cooperation. Together with the China National Petroleum Corporation， the above two companies have， through technology investment， built the geothermal heating system in Xianyang City of Shaanxi Province， which can provide heating for 300，000 households in an area of 1 million square metres. The Icelandic side expressed the willingness to further cooperation in this field with China and hoped to establish links with relevant local governments through the CPAFFC so as to develop and utilize geothermal resources in more Chinese provinces and cities.

Introducing traditional Chinese therapy in health care. In his meeting with Henrik Poulsen， international consultant of the Mayor’s Office of Odense， Denmark， Li Jianping conveyed the wish of the Health and Recreation Council of China Health Care Association to cooperate with Denmark. Poulsen said， Odense is known in the world for its pharmaceutical industry and leads the world in the development and research on medicine for diabetes. And it is where the Danish Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute has its headquarters. He said he would like to assist the CPAFFC to establish contact with the Institute and hoped that the two sides would cosponsor symposiums to push forward cooperation in traditional Chinese therapy for health care. The delegation visited the Blue Lagoon Health Care Centre. The Blue Lagoon Spa is one of the geothermal spa resorts of world renown and geothermal treatment in Iceland also enjoys high reputation. A leading member of the Centre expressed the desire to look for appropriate projects for cooperation with Chinese health care enterprises.

Discussing the work of friendship cities. Now there are 8 pairs of friendship cities between China and Denmark and 2 pairs between China and Iceland. The delegation called on Local Government Denmark and the Association of Local Authorities in Iceland， and discussed with them the development of friendship cities. The leaders of the two associations said， today when the world economy is facing an increasingly severe situation， China which has just successfully held the Beijing Olympic Games has attracted the world’s attention with its rapid economic development and great market potential. They hoped to grasp this opportunity and expand cooperation with China at the local government level， including twinning more friendship cities and broadening areas and channels of cooperation through exchanges of visits between cities.