Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC, Chinese: 中国人民对外友好协会 or Chinese: 对外友协 in short) is one of the three major foreign affairs organizations of the People's Republic of China. The organization manages China's sister city relationships.[1] 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 coordinated by the United Front Work Department used to covertly influence and co-opt elites to promote the interests of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) while downplaying its association with the CCP.[2][3][4][5]

Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries
AbbreviationCPAFFC
FormationMay 1954 (1954-05)
Location
  • Beijing
Chair
Lin Songtian
Parent organization
United Front Work Department
Websitewww.cpaffc.org.cn

The CPAFFC has been described as the "public face" of the United Front Work Department.[6] The CPAFFC sponsors and coordinates various front organizations in other countries at the national and sub-national level.[5][7] It 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.[8] The CPAFFC sponsors and coordinates groups such as China Bridge in Germany, the EU-China Friendship Group, and the Italy-China Friendship Association in Italy, US–China Peoples Friendship Association in the U.S., among others.[7][5]

History

The CPAFFC was founded in May 1954 to promote civic exchanges with countries that did not have diplomatic relations with the PRC.[9] 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."[10] 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.[11][12]

Key people
Honorary Chair
Chair
  • Chu Tunan (1954.5－1969.5), Vice-Chairman of the 6th NPC Standing Committee[13]
  • Wang Guoquan (1972.5－1973.4), pioneer of the Sino-Japanese relations, former Vice President of the China-Japan Friendship Association[14]
  • 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[15]
  • Lin Songtian (2020.4－present), former Chinese Ambassador to South Africa[11]
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.[16]

See also

References
  1. Lomová, Olga; Lulu, Jichang; Hála, Martin (2019-07-28). "Bilateral dialogue with the PRC at both ends: Czech-Chinese "friendship" extends to social credit". Sinopsis. Archived from the original on 2020-05-04. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  2. Sullivan, Lawrence R. (2018-09-18). Historical Dictionary of Chinese Foreign Affairs. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-5381-1162-8.
  3. Lulu, Jichang (2019-11-26). "Repurposing democracy: The European Parliament China Friendship Cluster". Sinopsis. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  4. Mudie, Luisetta (2020-07-17). "Book, Report Spark Concern Over China's UK Elite Influence Operations". Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  5. Yoshihara, Toshi; Bianchi, Jack (July 1, 2020). "Uncovering China's Influence in Europe: How Friendship Groups Coopt European Elites". Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  6. Diamond, Larry; Schell, Orville (2019-08-01). China's Influence and American Interests: Promoting Constructive Vigilance (PDF). Hoover Press. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-8179-2286-3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-06-16. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  7. Mudie, Luisetta, ed. (August 6, 2020). "China Uses 'Friendship Associations' to Extend Influence Among Overseas Elites: Report". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  8. Bork, Ellen (February 13, 2020). "Pompeo to Governors: China Is Using You". The American Interest. Archived from the original on February 18, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  9. Dotson, John (June 26, 2019). "China Explores Economic Outreach to U.S. States Via United Front Entities". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  10. Brady, Anne-Marie (2003). Making the Foreign Serve China: Managing Foreigners in the People's Republic. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 90–91. doi:10.25911/5d5fccdac8aba. hdl:1885/147629. ISBN 0742518612. OCLC 52595251.
  11. "Ambassador Lin Songtian is President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (translated from Chinese)". Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. 13 April 2020. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  12. Austin, Henry; Smith, Alexander (March 13, 2020). "Coronavirus: Chinese official suggests U.S. Army to blame for outbreak". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  13. Chu Tunan Archived 2018-10-29 at the Wayback Machine, China Vitae. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  14. Itoh, Mayumi (2012). Pioneers of Sino-Japanese Relations: Liao and Takasaki. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 152. ISBN 978-1137027351.
  15. Hsiao, Russell (June 26, 2019). "A Preliminary Survey of CCP Influence Operations in Japan". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  16. CPAFFC, Chinese Wikipedia. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
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