From December 5 to December 6, 2025, the Sixth Member Congress of the China International Friendship Cities Association (CIFCA) was held in Hefei, Anhui Province. The meeting comprehensively reviewed CIFCA's work since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), elected a new council and leadership team, and mapped out plans and arrangements for international friendship city work in the period ahead. Liang Yanshun, Secretary of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee, attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), attended the meeting and addressed the assembly. Officials in charge from the discipline inspection and supervision group of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission stationed at the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and relevant departments of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with leaders from Anhui Province and representatives from 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, provincial capitals, municipalities with independent planning status, and more than 180 prefecture-level member cities—around 300 participants in total—attended the meeting.
The meeting emphasized that CIFCA should take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, in particular Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, as its guiding principle, earnestly study and implement the guiding principles of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and fully carry out General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on international friendship city work. It called for better service to overall national diplomacy and stronger support for national and subnational economic and social development. The meeting noted that the Sixth Member Congress marked a major milestone in CIFCA's own development. Taking this congress as a new starting point, CIFCA was urged to strengthen political guidance, uphold fundamental principles while breaking new ground, enhance overall planning, improve coordination and synergy, and strive for high-quality development in international friendship city work. It should demonstrate a new outlook in better fulfilling the "two services" and make fresh contributions to creating a favorable external environment for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.
Secretary of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee Liang Yanshun extended warm congratulations on the convening of the Sixth Member Congress of CIFCA in Hefei. In his remarks, he said that Anhui Province is thoroughly implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and instructions during his inspection of Anhui, advancing industrial transformation through technological innovation, and promoting high-quality development through high-standard opening up, as it strives to write an Anhui chapter of Chinese modernization. He expressed the hope that CIFCA would give full play to the strengths of people-to-people diplomacy, better coordinate external engagement resources, and support Anhui in advancing initiatives such as "friendship cities + technological innovation" and "friendship cities + cultural exchange", thereby helping build a new highland of reform and opening up.
In his remarks, President Yang Wanming noted that CIFCA is an important national social organization that serves overall national diplomacy and promotes exchanges among international friendship cities. Taking General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on international friendship city work as its fundamental guidance, and under the guidance of the CPAFFC, CIFCA should further strengthen overall coordination and guidance for international friendship city work nationwide, focus on addressing key challenges in this field, consolidate and strengthen institutional mechanisms and platforms, and better leverage the bridge role of international friendship cities. He called for opening up new horizons in international friendship city work and demonstrating new achievements in serving national and subnational economic and social development.
The meeting reviewed and adopted the work report, financial report, and report on amendments to the Articles of Association of the Fifth Council, and elected the members and leadership of the Sixth Council. Yang Wanming was elected President of the Sixth Council of CIFCA. Shen Xin, Lu Xiangdong, and Jiang Jiang were elected Vice Presidents; Qing Boming was elected Secretary-General; and Wang Lei and Luo Huijuan were appointed Deputy Secretaries-General. The CPAFFC, together with representatives from 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, 27 provincial capitals, and five municipalities with independent planning status, were elected as council member units. Officials from relevant departments of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended the meeting and briefed participants on people-to-people diplomacy and subnational foreign affairs work, while representatives from several provinces and municipalities shared their experiences and best practices in advancing international friendship city work.
Founded in March 1992, the China International Friendship Cities Association is a nationwide social organization under the guidance of the CPAFFC, dedicated to promoting exchanges and practical cooperation between Chinese and foreign friendship cities. It currently has 582 member cities, including those from 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, as well as provincial capitals and municipalities with independent planning status.
