On October 29, 2025, Lu Xiangdong, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with a delegation from Villa Musica Foundation of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, led by Jurgen Hardeck, State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture of the Rheinland-Pfalz State.
Lu Xiangdong welcomed Jurgen Hardeck and the delegation. He stated that since the establishment of cooperation between the Villa Musica Foundation of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany and the CPAFFC in 1993, the two sides have conducted over ten mutual visits by musical groups for exchanges and performances through the "China-Germany Young Musicians Exchange and Mutual Visit Program." These exchanges have served a wide audience and delivered positive outcomes, making significant contributions to advancing people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Germany and deepening mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. Yesterday, artists from the delegation and Chinese artists delivered a resoundingly successful joint performance at the CPAFFC Auditorium. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, and the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership has entered a new decade. The CPAFFC is ready to work hand in hand with the Villa Musica Foundation of Rheinland-Pfalz to leverage music as a bond to build more bridges for people-to-people exchanges, practical cooperation, cultural exchanges, and youth friendship between China and Germany, jointly composing a new chapter of China-Germany friendship.
Jurgen Hardeck expressed gratitude to the CPAFFC for its warm reception of the delegation, and said that the Foundation has remained committed to promoting musical exchanges between Germany and China for years. Throughout more than three decades of close cooperation with the CPAFFC, mutual understanding and trust between the two sides have been continuously deepened. He hoped to continue using music as a bond to further enhance cultural exchanges and bring the two peoples closer together.
After the meeting, the two sides signed the Memorandum of Cooperation Between the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Villa Musical Foundation of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, providing a solid foundation for closer cooperation between the two sides in the future.
Qing Boming, Director of the Department of Sister City Affair and Cultural Exchange of the CPAFFC, attended the meeting.
