¡¡¡¡BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- In July 1991, a symposium on China's development was held in Rome. Looking back on that event after the passage of over a decade, a Chinese official cited it as an event "of landmark significance" in view of the intricate circumstances of that time.

¡¡¡¡Chen Haosu, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) said his organization was actively involved in this symposium, whose significance lay inthe fact that in the early 1990s, China was experiencing unfavorable international surroundings due to sanctions and blockages imposed by some Western nations.

¡¡¡¡At the Rome symposium, Giulio Andreotti, then-prime minister ofItaly, called on the world to maintain friendly cooperation with China rather than isolate it. He himself visited China soon afterwards, becoming the first governmental head of the European Community nations to do so despite the censure of the international community beginning in 1989.

¡¡¡¡The event, which relied on the people-to-people diplomacy of the CPAFFC, played a positive role in improving China's relations with Western countries.

¡¡¡¡"Non-governmental contacts, with their own characteristics and advantages, are often able to pave the way for the sound growth ofofficial diplomacy," Chen said.

¡¡¡¡In the 13 years since the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee was held in 1989,China's relations with other countries have been greatly enhanced.

¡¡¡¡To date, the CPAFFC has forged friendly links with nearly 400 non-governmental organizations in 120 countries and promoted more than 1,100 Chinese cities to set up sister-city relationships withforeign counterparts.

¡¡¡¡"The number of sister-cities increased by over 700 pairs in 13 years," Chen noted.

¡¡¡¡Chen said the development of this people-to-people diplomacy has been spurred by the great attention and support of the CPC's third-generation leadership with President Jiang Zemin at the core.

¡¡¡¡Over five years from 1997 to 2002, the CPAFFC have invited 1,200 goodwill delegations from over 60 countries to visit China, sent some 400 delegations to more than 50 nations, and hosted morethan 250 commemorations, seminars, multilateral meetings, exhibitions and performances. Of the events, some 350 were attended by CPC or state leaders.

¡¡¡¡As times have changed, non-governmental diplomacy has become even more diversified and substantial. While making friends is still at the top of the agenda, increasing importance is being attached to the promotion of China's exchanges and cooperation with foreign countries in various fields.

¡¡¡¡In the 13 years since 1989, the CPAFFC held approximately 100 seminars on economic cooperation, including the topics of finance,economy, trade, investment, enterprise management and environmental protection technologies, transfer of military technology for production of civilian goods, and so on.

¡¡¡¡Through the channel of forging sister-city ties alone, nearly 300 foreign cooperation projects were introduced in the last five years, drawing about 2.37 billion US dollars of investment from overseas.

¡¡¡¡Meanwhile, cultural exchanges have also reported progress. In the mid 1990s, the Chinese Little Swallow Art Troupe was sent by the CPAFFC to stage traditional performances in Washington D.C., U.S., which helped increase mutual understanding of the two peoples as ties were not strong at that time.

¡¡¡¡Last June, the organization sent a Chinese arts ensemble to Moscow at the eve of the 112th session of the International Olympic Committee, sharing the joy of Beijing's successful bid forthe 2008 Olympic Games and registering another achievement in people-to-people cultural exchanges.

¡¡¡¡In the past five years, the CPAFFC sent 70 arts troupes to giveperformances in 30 countries and regions, and received more than 150 performing groups from approximately 30 nations.

¡¡¡¡"Blockbusters they may not be, but these activities have enhanced the world's understanding of China," Chen said.

¡¡¡¡According to him, the promotion of world peace is another fundamental pursuit of China's unofficial diplomacy.

¡¡¡¡"Hostility and hatred, rooted in distrust between different peoples, have bred terrorism and wars in the world. And the killings will not be weeded out unless understanding and friendship have been planted in people's hearts."

¡¡¡¡On Jan. 1, 2001, a huge sculpture entitled "Long Live Peace", depicting a girl releasing doves in to the sky, was erected in front of the CPAFFC's office building.

¡¡¡¡"At the turn of the new century, we embodied our yearning for eternal peace in this sculpture. And that will also be a goal the CPAFFC will always work for and pursue," said Chen. Enditem