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Government Agency

Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC)

Website:

cpaffc.org.cn/index/xiehui/xiehui_list/cate/11/lang/2.html
Location:

No. 1 Taijichang Street, Doncheng District

Beijing, China
Formation:

1954
Type:

Foreign Government Agency
President:

Lin Songtian

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Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) is an influence group funded by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) 1 that the U.S. government has alleged is used to “directly and malignly influence state and local leaders” to promote China’s global agenda. 2

History and Leadership

Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries was originally founded as the Chinese People’s Association for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries on May 3, 1954. In 1966, the organization was renamed to Chinese People’s Friendship Association for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries. In 1969, CPAFFC assumed its current name. 3

Former Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Lin Songtian is the president of CPAFFC. 4

Activities and Funding

Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries works to fully implement China’s foreign policy through people-to-people diplomacy and is guided by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era.” 5

CPAFFC implements China’s foreign policy objectives and supports Chinese strategic objectives, including the so-called Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to guide its diplomatic efforts. CPAFFC also runs China’s sister cities programs 6 and is involved with various non-governmental organizations around the world. 7

In 2022, the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that the CCP uses the CPAFFC to “directly and malignly influence state and local leaders” to promote China’s global agenda. 8 The right-of-center Heritage Foundation has referred to CPAFFC as at the “public face of the United Front Work Department.” 9

Biden administration Department of State official Nina Hachigian met with CPAFFC in 2017 while she was deputy mayor of Los Angeles to discuss “the exchange and cooperation in areas such as sister city, environmental protection, and youth.” 10 11

CPAFFC is involved in China’s CCP-linked United Front work at the state and local level. In 2011, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signed a memorandum of understanding with then-Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to establish the China-U.S. Governors Forum as a platform of communication for sub-national leaders of both countries, convened by CPAFFC and the National Governors Association. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2015 visit to the U.S. also led to the establishment of the China-U.S. Sub-National Legislatures Cooperation Forum, which was launched in 2016 and co-led by CPAFFC and the State Legislative Leaders Foundation. 12

The China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development (CFFPD) is a subsidiary of CPAFFC and is a strategic partner for think tank Asia Society’s U.S.-China Dialogue series. 13

The China Service Center for Friendship and Cooperation with Foreign Countries (CSCFCFC) is a subordinate organization of CPAFFC. 14

Funding

Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries receives is funded by subsidies from the Chinese government and other countries, and from activities sponsored by CPAFFC. 15

References

  1. Ross, Chuck. “’Embrace China’: Biden’s Latest Diplomatic Hire Worked with CCP Front Groups.” Washington Free Beacon. October 6, 2022. Accessed October 22, 2022. https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/embrace-china-bidens-latest-diplomatic-hire-worked-with-ccp-front-groups/.
  2. Ross, Chuck. “’Embrace China’: Biden’s Latest Diplomatic Hire Worked with CCP Front Groups.” Washington Free Beacon. October 6, 2022. Accessed October 19, 2022. https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/embrace-china-bidens-latest-diplomatic-hire-worked-with-ccp-front-groups/.
  3. “About Us.” Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://cpaffc.org.cn/index/xiehui/xiehui_list/cate/12/lang/2.html.
  4. “About Us.” Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://cpaffc.org.cn/index/xiehui/xiehui_list/cate/12/lang/2.html.
  5. “Remarks by Our President.” Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://cpaffc.org.cn/index/xiehui/xiehui_list/cate/11/lang/2.html.
  6. “China International Friendship Association.” Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://cpaffc.org.cn/index/xiehui/zuzhijigou_detail/id/21/lang/2.html.
  7. “NGO Exchanges.” Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://cpaffc.org.cn/index/news/news_list/id/13/lang/2.html.
  8. Ross, Chuck. “’Embrace China’: Biden’s Latest Diplomatic Hire Worked with CCP Front Groups.” The Washington Free Beacon. October 6, 2022. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/embrace-china-bidens-latest-diplomatic-hire-worked-with-ccp-front-groups/.
  9. Edwards, Lee. “China’s “Soft War Against America.” The Heritage Foundation. February 22, 2021. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://www.heritage.org/asia/commentary/chinas-soft-war-against-america.
  10. Ross, Chuck. “’Embrace China’: Biden’s Latest Diplomatic Hire Worked with CCP Front Groups.” Washington Free Beacon. October 6, 2022. Accessed October 19, 2022. https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/embrace-china-bidens-latest-diplomatic-hire-worked-with-ccp-front-groups/.
  11. “President Li Xiaolin Visits the United States.” Chinese Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. October 28, 2017. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://cpaffc.org.cn/index/news/detail/id/5176/lang/2.html.
  12. Emily de La Bruyere and Nathan Picarsic. “All Over the Map: The Chinese Communist Party’s Subnational Interests in the United States.” Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. November 2021. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000017d-264b-df97-a9ff-be7f603e0000.
  13. “Partners.” Asia Society. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://asiasociety.org/us-china-dialogue/partners.
  14. “China Service Center for Friendship and Cooperation with Foreign Countries.” China Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://cpaffc.org.cn/index/xiehui/zuzhijigou_detail/id/23/lang/2.html.
  15. [1] “Statutes of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.” Tenth National Council Meeting of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. May 2012. Accessed October 23, 2022. https://cpaffc.org.cn/index/xiehui/xiehui_list/cate/13/lang/2.html.
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