A symposium marking the 70th anniversary of the Guangdong People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (GPAFFC) was held in Guangzhou on Aug 14.

Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), addressed the event and GPAFFC president Ma Wenfeng presented a work review and outlook.

Yang extended his congratulations to the association for its seven decades of progress. He applauded its unique role in building a people-to-people diplomacy model with distinct Guangdong features through diversified exchanges, enriched connotations and expanded reach.

Yang urged the GPAFFC to take the anniversary as a new starting point: acting as an envoy of people-to-people diplomacy for the APEC "China Year", strengthening overseas Chinese engagement and sister city cooperation to share stories of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and sustaining friendships through innovation and long-term vision.

Ma said that the association maintains ties with over 200 organizations across more than 70 countries, has facilitated 216 sister city pairs province-wide, and brings together 170 group members.

Ma added the association would stay true to its original goal of promoting people-to-people friendship, deepen pragmatic sister city cooperation, build distinctive Guangdong cultural exchange brands, and continue to advance key initiatives. Those include the "50,000 in Five Years" program (an initiative to invite 50,000 American youth to China for exchange and study programs over the next five years) and red-themed study tour.