Establishing and Promoting Cooperation Across Mount Qomolangma

From November 12 to 13, the 6th China-South Asia Friendship Organizations Forum, co-sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Nepal-China Executive Council who is the rotating chairman party of China South Asia friendship organizations, was successfully held in Nepal. More than 100 representatives of friendship organizations, relevant institutions and entrepreneurs from China, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives attended the forum. Puen, vice president of Nepal, attended the opening ceremony and lit the auspicious light.

This event is composed of a main forum, two sub forums and a seminar on cooperation between China South Asia friendship organizations and China.

At the opening ceremony, joint Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, said that China and South Asia are the most populous regions in the world, where close ties can boost the development of the whole region, and that China's investment and science and technology are crucial to the development of the whole South Asia region.

Lin Yi, vice president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, expressed the hope that the forum will integrate more effective resources and promote more results-oriented cooperation on the basis of unity, friendship, development and consensus, so as to play a fundamental role in promoting the co-operation between China and South Asia.

Anoop Bhattarai, rotating chairman of the China South Asia Friendship Organizations and chairman of the Nepal-China Executives Council, said that Nepal can serve as a bridge between China and South Asia.

Su Bensheng, vice president of the BPAFFC, made a keynote speech at the main forum. He introduced Beijing's functional orientation and the rich and colorful people-to-people exchanges between Beijing and South Asian countries in recent years, stressed that as a bridge for Beijing's non-governmental foreign exchange and cooperation, the BPAFFC is willing to continue to strengthen contacts and cooperation with South Asian friendly organizations, give full play to Beijing's advantages in scientific and technological innovation, modern services, urban agriculture, etc., increase exchanges in the fields of people's livelihood, science and technology, and economic and trade, so as to contribute to Beijing's strength to achieve common development, common prosperity, and to create our better future.

At the sub forums and seminars, the Beijing delegation also introduced the main activities to be carried out in the next future, shared the experience of exchanges with friends from South Asia, and raised proposals on advancing youth exchanges, exploring agriculture and women's employment training.

In recent years, Beijing enterprises who have investments and projects in South Asia have conscientiously fulfilled their social responsibilities, carried out people-to-people exchanges, and achieved good results. Relying on local friendship organizations, the project office of Beijing Construction Engineering Group in Maldives supports Maldivian youth to carry out cultural exchanges with China, which is highly praised by Rasheed, former Maldivian Minister of Economy, former ambassador to China and chairman of China Maldives Cultural Exchange Association; Beijing Construction Engineering Group invests in vocational skill training in Nepal to provide human resources for Chinese enterprises and contribute to creating employment for the locals.

A delegation composed of the BPAFFC, the Changping District People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Beijing Association for International Economic and Technological Cooperation attended the forum. The entrepreneurs of the delegation carried out project docking and established cooperative contacts with representatives from various countries. During his visit to Nepal, the delegation also met with the Chinese ambassador to Nepal, signed a memorandum of cooperation with Arniko Society, and went to Godavari city to learn about local agricultural product cultivation, laying the foundation for a technical training program in the future.

The China-South Asia Friendship Organizations’ Forum was initiated by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the China-South Asia Friendship Organizations in 2009. It is held in turn in China and South Asian countries every two years to build consensus among the people, consolidate the public opinion foundation and enhance people to people ties for promoting the development of China South Asia relations. At present, the forum has become an important platform for non-governmental exchanges between China and South Asian countries.