ＣＰＡＦＦＣ Ｖｉｃｅ Ｐｒｅｓｉｄｅｎｔ Ｌｉ Ｘｉａｏｌｉｎ Ｌｅａｄｓ Ｄｅｌｅｇａｔｉｏｎ ｔｏ Ｐａｐｕａ Ｎｅｗ Ｇｕｉｎｅａ， Ｎｅｗ Ｚｅａｌａｎｄ ａｎｄ Ｖａｎｕａｔｕ

Ｗａｎｇ　Ｌｉｄａｎ

At the invitation of the China-PNG Friendship Association Incorporation (CPNGFA), the New Zealand-China Friendship Society (NZCFS) and Vanuatuan Ambassador to China, a CPAFFC delegation led by its vice president Li Xiaolin visited Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Vanuatu from May 11 to 22. It paid official calls on Governor General Paulius Matane of Papua New Guinea; President Kalkot Matas Kelekele, Prime Minister Ham Lini, Speaker Sam Dan Avok of the Representative Assembly, Foreign Minister Georges Wells and President Sebastien Algued of Sanma Province of Vanuatu; and Vice Secretary John McArthur of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand, attended the PNG-China Friendship Forum, the Annual Conference of New Zealand-China Friendship Society and the ceremony of signing the memorandum of understanding on friendship and cooperation between the CPAFFC and the Vanuatu-China Friendship Association(VCFA) and visited the China-aided Oil Palm Project/Plantation and the Chinese medical team in Vanuatu.

Sharing weal and woe with the people in Chinas disaster areas. Wenchuan earthquake occurred on the second day of the delegations overseas visit. All the members of the delegation led by Li Xiaolin immediately participated in the local peoples collection of donations for the stricken areas and mourning the victims of the earthquake. When meeting with the delegation, the governor general of Papua New Guinea, the Vanuatuan president, prime minister, speaker of the Representative Assembly and foreign minister and the vice foreign minister of New Zealand, all expressed their sincere sympathy and solicitude for the people of the disaster areas in China. On May 19, in the Chinese Embassy in Vanuatu, together with all the people at home the delegation paid silent tribute to the victims of Wenchuan earthquake. In Port Vila on May 20, the delegation took part in the collection of donations held by the Chinese community in Vanuatu. Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Cheng Shuping and his wife, Vanuatuan President Kalkot Matas Kelekele and his wife, Speaker of the Representative Assembly Sam Dan Avok and his wife, Vanuatuan Ambassador to China Lo Chi Wai, diplomatic envoys in Vanuatu and representatives of overseas Chinese and Chinese Vanuatuans, among over 200 people, participated in the activity. CPAFFC Vice President Li Xiaolin gave a speech expressing her thanks to the personages of various circles of Vanuatu and the Chinese Vanuatuans and overseas Chinese there for their active participation in collecting donations for relieving the distress among the victims of the Wenchuan earthquake. The local Chinese community organized a charity performance. Vanuatuan President and his wife also took part in the charity auction. On that night donations of 3.4 million Vatu (about 34,000 US dollars) were collected. During delegations visit in Sanma Province, after listening to Li Xiaolins briefing about the disaster, Governor Algued, on behalf of the province, right away donated 1,500 US dollars to the people in the disaster areas.Ambassador Lo Chi Wai who accompanied the delegation on the visit said, the fact that Sanma Province, an economically backward area, donated money to Chinas earthquake-hit areas fully showed Vanuatuan peoples friendly sentiments towards the Chinese people.

Carrying out people-to-people friendly cooperation and exchanges.On May 12, the CPAFFC and the CPNGFA jointly held the China- PNG Friendship Forum. The CPNGFA with more than 800 members, a fairly big friendship-with-China organization in PNG, aims at promoting and developing friendship between PNG and China and the people of the two countries. The PNG incumbent Prime Minister Michael Somare is its honorary president. Chao Xiaoliang, charge daffaires of the Chinese Embassy in PNG; Leonard Louma, international relations adviser to the Prime Minister; Maimu Raka-Nou and Max Rai, former ambassadors to China, and representatives of the Chinese community there, among over 70 people, attended the forum. CPAFFC Vice President Li Xiaolin and CPNGFA President Stanley Shi signed a letter of intent on friendly cooperation. In their speeches at the forum, CPNGFA President Stanley Shi, and former PNG Ambassador to China Maimu Raka-Nou stressed the importance of PNG-China relations. They said, PNG has always supported China in international affairs. People-to-people exchanges, an important component of bilateral relations, have bright prospects. The signing of the letter of intent on friendly cooperation has opened a new chapter in the people-to-people contacts and friendship between PNG and China.

In his meeting with Li Xiaolin and her party, Vanuatuan President Kelekele said, the friendly relations between Vanuatu and China go back to ancient times. The hard-working and honest Chinese in Vanuatu keep harmonious relations with the local people and have made great contributions to the development of local economy. The establishment of the VCFA will promote the development of the relations between the two countries, particularly people-to-people exchanges. Not long ago, the wife of Vanuatuan President led a womens delegation to visit China. Chinas rapid economic development and rich and colourful Chinese culture left a deep impression on them. During the delegations stay in Vanuatu, she specially held a meeting briefing about her visit to China and showed great enthusiasm for the establishment of the VCFA. On the night of May 20, at the charity performance for the Wenchuan earthquake relief, the First Lady and president of the VCFA announced the establishment of the VCFA and signed with CPAFFC Vice President Li Xiaolin an agreement on cooperation between the VCFA and the CPAFFC.

The establishment of the VCFA and the signing of the letter of intent on friendly cooperation between China and PNG and the memorandum of understanding on Friendship and cooperation between the CPAFFC and the VCFA have laid a foundation for carrying out people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between China and the two countries.

The delegation attended the Annual Conference of New Zealand-China Friendship Society in Masterton. In her speech at the conference, Li Xiaolin extended her warm congratulations to Eric T. Livingstone, newly elected president of NZCFS, and sincere thanks to new and old friends for their efforts to develop New Zealand-China friendship. She expressed her wishes to further strengthen cooperation between the two organizations.