Internal working platform of Yunnan Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

On April 9, the Provincial Federation of Foreign Friends and Friendship Associations held the fourth executive (expanded) meeting of the first council, conveying and studying General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses on people-to-people diplomacy and the spirit of the 2026 expanded meeting of the Provincial Party Committee's Foreign Affairs Commission. The meeting reviewed and approved the addition of relevant units as council members, foreign honorary council members, and the "Action List for the Executive Council Office," and discussed and arranged the work for 2026. Yang Shaocheng, President of the Provincial Federation of Foreign Friends and Friendship Associations Council, attended the meeting and delivered a speech.Council members including Mou Hongcao, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Federation of Industry and Commerce; Cui Wen, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles; Wan Yanjuan, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Federation of Overseas Chinese; Yan Ming, Vice President of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics; and Gao Shaozhou, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Trade Union of Yunnan Agricultural Reclamation Group, as well as Shao Weiqing, Vice President of Yunnan Minzu University, delivered exchange speeches, while Wang Yu, the full-time Vice Chairman of the Council, presided over the meeting.

The conference fully affirmed the achievements of the Council in 2025, believing that the Council members of all units have thoroughly implemented the Party Central Committee's foreign policy and the work arrangements of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, actively taken initiative, and worked in unison to jointly organize over 90 civil-to-civil foreign exchange activities. This has promoted the quality and efficiency of the international friendship city work, with the brand effects of events such as "Border People's Grand Festival", "Love Yunnan", the Vietnamese youth "Red Study Tour", "Affectionate China - China Root-Seeking Tour", the "International Fine Coffee Industry Development Conference", and the "China-South Asia and Southeast Asia Think Tank Forum" becoming increasingly prominent. Furthermore, 45 "Heart-Connected, Yunnan-Bound" public welfare projects have been implemented in 17 countries, making positive contributions to serving the national diplomatic big picture, supporting the construction of a radiation center facing South Asia and Southeast Asia, and promoting the economic and social development of the entire province.

The conference pointed out that the global century of change is accelerating, and people-to-people diplomacy has entered a new stage where it can achieve great things and act more effectively. The Council must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping's diplomatic thought, unite its efforts, and continue its struggle to make a good start and take a good step in the province's people-to-people diplomacy work during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Each council must bear in mind the "great affairs of the nation," accurately determine the direction and positioning of Yunnan's people-to-people diplomacy work, leverage the advantages of its own unit and field, and actively serve the overall national diplomacy; it must focus on the "Four Bridges," deeply explore the resources of people-to-people diplomacy and the materials of people-to-people friendship, and carry out more people-to-people diplomatic activities with political height, Yunnan warmth, and practical vigor; it must empower local development with the "International Friendship City+" initiative, promoting the transition of friendship city relations from "friendly exchanges" to "win-win cooperation"; and it must earnestly carry out the study and education on establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievements, improve the operational efficiency of the council, improve the inter-departmental coordination system, effectively consolidate working synergy, and promote the high-quality development of Yunnan's people-to-people diplomacy work.