Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC, or in short) is one of the major foreign affairs organizations of the People's Republic of China. The organization manages China's sister city relationships. Its stated aim is to promote friendship and mutual understanding between the Chinese people and foreign nations but observers have pointed out that it functions as a front organization in the United Front system used to influence and co-opt elites to promote the interests of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) while downplaying its association with the CCP.

The CPAFFC has been described as the "public face" of the CCP's United Front Work Department. The CPAFFC sponsors and coordinates various front organizations in other countries at the national and sub-national level.

History

The CPAFFC was founded in May 1954 to promote civic exchanges with countries that did not have diplomatic relations with the PRC. Its leadership is drawn from the upper ranks of the Chinese Communist Party and, as part of the United Front Work Department, it has as its goal "to make the foreign serve China" ( zh , c=洋为中用 , p=yáng wéi Zhōng yòng , l=overseas become China use). Its current chairperson is Lin Songtian, China's former ambassador to South Africa who suggested that the U.S. Army was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China.

The CPAFFC has served to cultivate "people to people exchanges" and has attempted to influence sub-national and local levels of government via groups such as the National Governors Association in the U.S. The CPAFFC has sponsored and coordinated with groups such as China Bridge in Germany, the EU-China Friendship Group, Association Sino-Française d'Entraide et d'Amitié (ASFEA) in France, the Italy-China Friendship Association, US–China Peoples Friendship Association, and Neil Bush's George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, among others. Since 2016, the CPAFFC has convened the China-U.S. Sub-National Legislatures Cooperation Forum jointly with the non-profit State Legislative Leaders Foundation.

The China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development (CFFPD) operates under the auspices of the CPAFFC and has forged partnerships with prominent non-profit and private sector entities. In April 2015, the CFFPD signed an education partnership with United Technologies (now Raytheon Technologies). The CFFPD maintains a strategic partnership with the Asia Society in the U.S.

In May 2019, the CPAFFC inked an agreement with Irish think thank Asia Matters, founded and chaired by former politician Alan Dukes.

Responses

In October 2020, the United States Department of State discontinued participation in the U.S.-China Governors Forum to Promote Sub-National Cooperation, established jointly with the National Governors Association in 2011, due to alleged actions by the CPAFFC to "malignly influence state and local leaders" in the U.S. However, CPAFFC's China-U.S. Sub-National Legislatures Cooperation Forum remained unaffected by the U.S. Department of State's action.

In 2022, the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center issued a warning notice to state and local leaders citing the CPAFFC and the United Front Work Department.

Key people

; Honorary Chair

* Soong Ching-ling (1980.6－1981.5))
* Deng Yingchao (1982.4－1992.7)

;
; Chair

* Chu Tunan (1954.5－1969.5), Vice-chairman of the 6th NPC Standing Committee
* Wang Guoquan (1972.5－1973.4), pioneer of the Sino-Japanese relations, former Vice President of the China-Japan Friendship Association
* Chai Zemin (1974.6－1975.8), the first Chinese Ambassador to the United States
* Wang Bingnan (1975.8－1986.1), former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Zhang Wenjin (1986.1－1989.10), former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Han Xu (1989.10－1994.5), former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Qi Huaiyuan (1994.5－2000.10), former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Chen Haosu (2000.10－2011.9), former Vice Minister of Culture; his father is the late Marshal and Foreign Minister Chen Yi
* Li Xiaolin (2011.9－2020.4), whose father is the late Chinese President Li Xiannian
* Lin Songtian (2020.4－present), former Chinese Ambassador to South Africa

; Committee

The 1st CPAFFC Committee included Guo Moruo, Zhao Puchu, Ma Yinchu, Mao Dun, Cao Yu, Lao She, Xia Yan, Tian Han, Ding Xilin, He Luting, Ma Sicong, Mei Lanfang, Huang Xianfan, Jiao Juyin, Yang Hansheng, Zhou Yang, Hu Yuzhi, Fan Changjiang, Zhu Kezhen, Qian Duansheng, Qian Weichang, Hua Luogeng, etc. CPAFFC, ''Chinese Wikipedia''. Retrieved 9 November 2013.

See also

*Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China
* Chinese information operations and information warfare
*Chinese intelligence activity abroad
*One-China policy

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chinese People's Association For Friendship With Foreign Countries
People's Republic of China friendship associations
Organizations associated with the Chinese Communist Party
Chinese intelligence agencies
Chinese propaganda organisations
Information operations units and formations
Disinformation operations
United Front (China)