China, Beijing
【May 14th～16th】
RBA International Chairman Nobuhiro Kume, (also a CEO of Daisan Kikaku Inc.) together with RBA International Secretary General, Kimi Kume, were specially invited as honored guests to the 60th Anniversary Ceremony of the Establishment of The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) that took place between 14th – 16th May 2014. There were 400 guests from 48 countries for this commemorative ceremony.
In 2003, RBA International co-hosted “China-Japan Tea Ceremony and Flower Arrangement Exchange Exhibition” with the CPAFFC and since then has steadily organized numerous grass-root level exchanges with them in areas of culture, education, and sports, including calligraphy, scholarship to impoverished region elementary school children, baseball classes for the young, etc. The invitation to the ceremony could portray how these RBA International activities are highly appreciated by the President Li Xiaolin and the CPAFFC.
The ceremony took place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi Jinping, the President of the People’s Republic of China, in his congratulatory speech expressed noble respect towards friends from overseas who cherish peace, and praised private diplomats for filling important positions of national diplomacy the past 60 years alongside the Association’s development. Former Prime Minister Hatoyama gave a congratulatory speech representing Japan; where about 100 guests were invited, accounting a 1/4 of all guests. This significant percentage alone, it felt like, conveyed the CPAFFC’s strong standpoint of seeing the friendship between Japan and China being a common wish for both countries.
On the following day, RBA International attended and observed the shooting of China Central Television’s (CCTV) special program on private diplomats titled, “Unforgettable 60 Years”, which was produced with the CPAFFC.
Congratulatory speech by The President Xi Jinping and the President Li Xiaolin of CPAFFC
In front of the Great Hall of the People
At the China Central Television
Greeting the President Li Xiaolin after the shooting
