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FES Head of Department for International Development Cooperation Visits China


Xiao Lan At the invitation of CAFIU, Mme. Christiane Kesper, Director of the Department for International Development Cooperation of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung of Germany (FES) visited China from Oct. 9 to 14. During the stay in Beijing, Mr. Li Jinjun, Vice-Minister of IDCPC and Executive Vice-President of CAFIU met with her. CAFIU Secretary-general Ni Jian held a working meeting with her. In the evening of Oct. 10, CAFIU and FES jointly sponsored the reception to inaugurate the newly appointed Director of FES Beijing Office Mr. Christoph Pohlmann. More than 60 Chinese and German participants attended the reception. Mr Ni Jian and Mme. Kesper delivered a speech respectively. During the meetings, both sides spoke highly of the fruitful cooperation between CAFIU and FES. Li jinjun emphasized that this year was very important to China and Germany. In the early beginning of the year, President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Germany was very successful during which both sides agreed to establish the comprehensive strategic partnership, thus providing new important opportunities for the development of Sino-German relations. The high-level leaders of the two countries exchanged visits frequently and continuously created new highs in friendly cooperation. In the last three decades or more, CAFIU and FES have carried out close exchanges and cooperation with rich content and in diverse forms, which achieved remarkable results. CAFIU and FES have acted as pioneers and bridges for the communication between the CPC and SPD, and also built many effective platforms of exchange for politicians, experts and scholars and other personages of the two countries. Especially in recent years, the two organizations have kept pace with the times to make innovations. By sponsoring a series of exchanges and discussions, the two organizations made positive contributions to enhancing people-to-people friendly ties and inter-party cooperation. Li Jinjun believed that in the new circumstances the two organizations will continue to deepen mutual exchanges and cooperation through close coordination and making better use of their own strengths so as to contribute even more to the development of the party-to-party relations and the friendship between the two peoples. Kesper pointed out that deep trust has been built over the past 30-odd years between both organizations. Even if sometimes with different opinions, they would follow the principle of coordination and consultation and refrain from pointing fingers at each other. When the state relations encountered difficulties, the two organizations still persisted in carrying out dialogue and playing a positive role in improving bilateral relations. Especially in recent years, they have further developed friendly cooperative relations. Kesper noted that FES is willing to maintain and deepen the relations, strengthen the exchanges and cooperation with CAFIU by enriching the content and enlarging the scope of cooperation, and continue to play an important role in promoting the state and inter-party relations and understanding between the two peoples. At the reception, Ni Jian said that CAFIU and FES have established deep friendship attributed to the firm belief in promoting cooperation and common development and the principles of mutual respect and seeking common ground while shelving differences. We look forward to carrying out cooperation smoothly with Mr. Pohlmann and we believe that through concerted efforts we will achieve more fruitful results and bring our cooperation to a higher level. Kesper said that FES always paid great attention to the cooperative ties with China and hoped that the Chinese partners would continue to support the work of FES Beijing Office and join hands with FES to push forward the further development of German-Chinese cooperation.