On December 12, the 8th China South Asia Friendship Organizations’ Forum was held in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province. It brought together 12 friendship organizations from six South Asian countries, namely Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives, and representatives of domestic local foreign affairs offices and associations for friendship with foreign countries in 19 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions), to have candid, friendly and in-depth exchanges on the theme of “Good Neighbourliness for a Shared Future.” Jiao Yutong, Vice President of Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (BPAFFC), was also present at the meeting.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Jiang Jiang, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), thanked the South Asian friends for their decades-long friendship with China and for playing a major role in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and South Asian peoples and promoting peace and stability in the region. He proposed that China and South Asian countries should work together to promote common development, mutual learning and subnational cooperation, and let the friendship organizations in South Asia play a bigger role. He called on the delegates to adhere to the founding aspiration of friendship, leverage their social influence, unite friendly forces from all walks of life, and continue to enhance China-South Asia friendship.
Anoop Bhattarai, Chairman of the Organization for South Asia Regional Friendship and Cooperation with China, highly commended the achievement China’s made in all walks of life. “As a close neighbor, South Asia aspires to benefit from the opportunities created by the ever-growing Chinese economy,” he said.
Surendara Kumar Yadav, Minister of Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, stressed that through extensive collaboration with South Asian nations, China is actively involved in initiatives ranging from human resource training and poverty alleviation to disaster relief and cultural exchanges. He pointed out that the essence of progress of any region lies within the connections and interactions of its people.
In his speech delivered at the sub-forum “Cultivating New Driving Forces for the Common Development of China and South Asia,” Jiao Yutong, Vice President of BPAFFC, introduced the friendly exchanges activities in various forms between Beijing and South Asian countries in recent years, and emphasized that BPAFFC would strengthen project planning, maximize the role of Council members, and strengthen ties and cooperation with South Asian friendship organizations in the fields of economy, trade, culture, agriculture and youth development. As to how to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, Mr. Jiao observed that Beijing has more advanced technology and practices in smart agriculture and the building of new-type countryside, in addition to a large number of high-level agricultural research institutes. BPAFFC is willing to act as a bridge to promote in-depth agricultural cooperation between South Asian countries and Beijing, and help deliver more cooperation projects vital to the people’s wellbeing on the ground.
Initiated in 2009 by CPAFFC and South Asian friendship organizations, the China South Asia Friendship Organizations’ Forum is committed to building non-governmental consensus, consolidating the foundation of public support, and enhancing people-to-people ties for the development of China-South Asia relations. It is held alternately between China and South Asian countries every two years, and has become an important platform for people-to-people friendly exchanges between China and South Asian countries.
