China-South Asia Friendship Organization forum

History has shown that the Chinese people are great believers in world-wide-friendship. Former President of the People's Republic of China Jiang Zhemin once inscribed (in 1994) "make friendship extensively, increase understanding and strengthen co-operation."

The Chinese leaders believed that enhanced friendship among people will promote world peace and prosperity. They adopted a policy to excel in people to people exchanges to serve the program of Chinese modernization.

They have correctly observed that people-to-people friendship has certainly borne rich fruit. This background brought about the founding of a unique organization in China the nature of which is not found in any other country.

This organization is called 'Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries' (CPAFFC). This is more or less the breeding ground of friendship in the People's Republic of China. It is accepted as a National People's Organization of the People's Republic of China. The CPAFFC is an extremely powerful and responsible organization which is an embodiment of non-governmental diplomacy in new China. Through this unique organization China has friends all over the world.

The year 2009 is important to China for two major reasons. One is the sixtieth anniversary of founding of the People's Republic of China.

The other reason is the 55th anniversary of the founding of the CPAFFC in 1954. This organization was first called the Chinese People's Association for Cultural Relations with Foreign countries. Subsequently, in 1966 this was re-named the Chinese People's Friendship Association for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries. Since 1969, it has been known by its present name.

Its headquarters are located in Beijing. Affiliated to this central organization, local friendship associations have been set up in all the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and a number of cities.

Amidst these celebrations the CPAFFC has planned a new forum to discuss the strengthening of the mutual friendship particularly in South Asia.

In order to further promote the friendly relations between the CPAFFC and the South Asian Friendship Organizations and to provide a platform for sharing experience and exploring opportunities for co-operative projects, the CPAFFC has organized a China South Asia Friendship Organization Forum.

This will take place in Beijing from October 27 to 30, 2009. Over 80 participants are expected to attend this forum.

Several friendship organizations in Sri Lanka, including the Sri Lanka China Society have been invited to participate.

Friendship organizations in South Asian Countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh have already confirmed their participation. The organizers in Beijing have identified several important topics for discussion during the three days.

The introduction of successful projects organized by each organization will be examined in detail. All the participating friendship organizations are requested to discuss their projects in this forum. Such a discussion will provide a valuable opportunity to exchange views of different friendship organizations from different communities of different countries.

This forum in Beijing will have three sessions. The second session is devoted to discuss and examine the role of the friendship organizations to enhance the exchanges between the Chinese and the South Asian locations.

A discussion of this nature among the representatives from different organizations from communities which are distinctively different in social background and social culture will certainly open doors for wider exposure. It is unlikely that individual friendship organizations so far had such an opportunity to compare notes with other similar organizations.

Having discussed the preliminaries in the first two sessions, a third and final session will take place to discuss the future projects for the promotion of Sino-South Asia relations through friendship organizations. This session will be chaired by Amaradasa Gunawardena the President of Sri Lanka China Society.

Besides this, preliminary arrangements are made to establish an 'Organization for South Asian Regional Friendship and Co-operation with China' (OSRFCC).

The proposal has been made by Indrananda Abeysekara the President of the Association for Sri Lanka Social Cultural Cooperation (ASCSCC) who is presently in Beijing. The first meeting of the proposed OSRFFC will be held in Colombo in January 2010.