A Beautiful Life

The opening of the Exhibition on the History of the CPAFFC in the beautiful compound of the CPAFFC is like one of its evergreen trees， with blossoms and fruits pleasant to the eye and uplifting the hearts.

The exhibition shows the CPAFFC as a time-honored Chinese non- governmental organization following a long road of constant development since the birth of New China， and successfully undertaking all the historical duties assigned in the various periods of overall diplomacy at different times. Sixty years have passed in the blink of an eye filled with the satisfaction of numerous fine achievements.

The exhibition is a tribute to generations of CPAFFC staff who have worked hard and conscientiously for the great cause and their dreams. They have dedicated their youth and talents in making contributions that have also enriched their own lives.

For those who have retired， they can look back with satisfaction on what they have achieved and proudly cherish their memories as a spiritual wealth. I， myself， am one of them and share some happy memories of working with the CPAFFC. In 1952， I was still a primary school pupil wearing a red scarf when all the senior comrades of the CPAFFC were striving to prepare for the Peace Conference of the Asian and Pacific Regions ― the first international conference to be held in Beijing since the founding of New China. One day， our teacher asked us to take part in an “important event of foreign affairs” for which we should get up in the small hours and line up along the banks of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal to welcome foreign friends. We stood there and kept waiting in excitement and enthusiasm till dawn. At last， we heard the whistle sounded by the leader， and then saw a large group of foreigners of different skin hues and different attire walking towards us from a distance. The Africans in long white robes were the most astonishing to us children; some of us were even a little scared and quietly moved backwards from the front row. I was fearless and stayed where I was. We started to wave our hands with the rhythm of cheers “welcome! welcome!” while I was staring at those Africans whom I had never seen. They nodded and waved to us again and again， and one of them even shook hands with me and smiled at me. In surprise， I saw his beautiful big eyes and white teeth， and smiled back. A few minutes later， the exciting brief contact passed， and the children， some elated and some regretful for not having held out their hands， chattered tirelessly about those “funny people” so different from us， who were the delegates attending the peace conference! Their presence was an eye-opener for us and added new wings to our childish dreams. A decade later， when I was studying foreign language at university， I was sent to the CPAFFC (then known as the Chinese People’s Association for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries) to work temporarily as an interpreter to look after the first African art troupe to visit China—Djoliba National Ballet of Guinea. We stayed in Nanjing for 10 days and became good friends; I’d better say， strangers became brothers and sisters. They liked Chinese straight black hair and we admired their big eyes with natural curly eyelashes. When they were leaving China， we hugged them， and even burst into tears. After that， Africa became a hot topic among young students in China. Not long after my graduation， in the 1960s， I entered the compound of the CPAFFC as a staff member engaged in the work concerning African countries. This occupied 22 years of my 37-year career.

In the early 1970s， the CPAFFC started a new spring of activities in foreign affairs， yet only few were related to Asian and African regions， especially the latter where some countries had just gained independence while others were still fighting for national liberation. The people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa were beginning and developing. Some people said that we were “sitting on a cold bench”， but we did not waver or feel disheartened. Despite the difficulties， we persevered in making breakthroughs and gradually established contacts with English， French and Portuguese speaking African countries. The African delegations came to China one after another and we accompanied them visiting various parts of our land during which they got to understand China and its people. Thanks to their invitation， we also made trips around Africa， spreading seeds and harvesting fruits of friendship， mutual respect and support between the Chinese and African people， which grew into close and frequent exchanges in the 1980s and 1990s. Our African friends， whether they were high-ranking government officials and intellectual elites， or village chiefs and common farmers， deeply moved us by their trust in and affection for the Chinese people. Their life experiences， knowledge and high moral standards greatly enriched us and upgraded our spiritual realm. Entering the new century， new mechanisms and platforms have been established for carrying out all-dimensional exchanges between China and Africa and tremendous achievements have been made， benefiting the people of both sides. We owe all this to the Chinese and African political leaders of the older generation who showed great foresight and nursed the tender seedlings of friendship. It was they who warmly met with the visiting delegations and had heart-to-heart talks with them， laying a firm foundation for the development of Sino-African relations. I had many such experiences together with members of the CPAFFC goodwill delegations， art troupes and handicrafts exhibition groups visiting Africa， during which we were received by many top leaders of African countries， including Moktar Ould Daddah， President of Mauritania， Leopold Sedar Senghor， President of Senegal， Ahmed Sekou Toure， President of Guinea， Henri Lopes， Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo， Joseph-Desire Mobutu， President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaire)， Seyni Kountche， President of Niger， Ahmadou Babatoura Ahidjo， President of Cameroon; Mathieu Kere- kou， President of Benin and Hage Geingob， Prime Minister of Namibia. Many of them have passed away， but their faces and smiles when they met us remain vivid in our memories. As time goes by， I now have scarcely any idea of the exact mission of each visit we made， but the impressions of the beautiful natural scenery of the African continent ― the tranquil coastal areas along the Mediterranean Sea， the vast Sahara Desert， the swaying coconut palms beside the Atlantic and Indian Oceans， the surging waves of the Congo River， the shimmering Blue and White Nile， the reddish cloud of flying herds of flamingos above Lake Nakuru， the water birds strolling in water of the Lake Victoria， and the wild animals reserve of the Ngorongoro crater below the ice cap of Mount Kilimanjaro all remain clear in my mind， always vivid， and a source of great relaxation whenever I think of them. I will be happy forever with this beautiful life experience.

With all my heart， I hope the new generation staff of the CPAFFC will add more charming chapters to the annals of the organization through hard work and creative thinking， and enjoy more beautiful lives of their own.

The author is former deputy director general of the Department of Asianand African Affairs of the CPAFFC.