On April 21st, the 9th Provincial Council Meeting of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC) kicked off in Xi'an. Zhao Yide, Secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee, and Sun Xueqing, Member of the Party Group and Secretary-General of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Xing Shanping, Deputy Secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee, presided over the meeting. Wang Haipeng, Member of the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee and Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee, Guo Qing, Deputy Director and Member of the Party Group of the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Congress, Chen Chunjiang, Member of the Party Group and Vice Governor of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Government, and Li Xingwang, Member of the Party Group and Vice Chairman of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, also attended the meeting. Shao Lin, President of Datang Lingyu Holding Group, was invited to participate as a council member (of the 8th Council) of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

At the meeting, Secretary Zhao Yide, on behalf of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Congress, the provincial government and the Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, extended congratulations on the convening of the meeting.

Secretary Zhao Yide emphasized that currently Shaanxi Province is deeply studying and implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee, comprehensively acting on the important instructions and key speeches delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his inspection tours of Shaanxi on multiple occasions, integrating more deeply into the grand framework of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, and striving to write a new chapter in the construction of Chinese-style modernization in Shaanxi. It is hoped that the Shaanxi Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC), taking this opportunity of the council's re-election, will uphold its original intention of friendship, carry forward its glorious traditions, and better play its role as a bridge in promoting people-to-people exchanges, pragmatic cooperation, cultural and people exchanges, and youth friendship, injecting strong vitality into the high-quality economic and social development of Shaanxi. It is necessary to strengthen political guidance, deeply study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on people-to-people diplomacy work, fully leverage the main channel role of people-to-people diplomacy, and demonstrate greater responsibility and action in fulfilling the major mission of making friends for the country. It is necessary to serve the overall development agenda, rely on open platforms such as the Silk Road International Exposition and open channels such as the China-Europe Railway Express to strengthen friendly city exchanges, deepen and expand exchanges and cooperation in emerging fields, accelerate the implementation of a number of "small but beautiful" livelihood projects, and demonstrate greater achievements in building an inland reform and opening-up highland. It is essential to uphold the principle of establishing a reputation through culture, leverage cultural resource advantages to shine the brand of people-to-people diplomacy, tell well the stories of China, the Silk Road, and Shaanxi, and demonstrate greater achievements in promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. People's associations for friendship with foreign countries at all levels in Shaanxi should enhance their political nature (here referring to their political orientation and adherence to principles, meaning they should remain politically oriented and principle-abiding), maintain their advanced nature, and stay close to the masses, improve the working mechanisms of the council, and build a capable cadre team of the association. Party committees at all levels should adhere to the Party's leadership over people-to-people diplomacy work, and support the SPAFFC in creatively carrying out its work in accordance with its charter.

The meeting deliberated and adopted the newly revised "Constitution of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries", and elected Xing Shanping as the President of the 9th Council of the SPAFFC. Council representatives from relevant provincial-level departments, mass organizations and social groups, universities and enterprises, as well as the provincial and municipal foreign affairs systems attended the meeting to jointly contribute to the grand cause of people-to-people diplomacy, build new bridges of friendship and cooperation, and paint a new picture of cultural and people exchanges.

Shao Lin congratulated the successful convening of the 9th Provincial Council of the Shaanxi People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries at the group discussion meeting and delivered a speech: As a council member of the Shaanxi People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Datang Field Holdings has always regarded the work of people-to-people diplomacy as its own responsibility. In the future, it will continue to focus on its duties, run the enterprise well, and assist foreign affairs with investment. Adhere to the right path while innovating, improve services, and assist foreign affairs with the platform; Enhance influence, expand exchanges, and assist foreign affairs through cooperation; In light of reality, attract foreign investment and promote foreign affairs through investment promotion. Looking ahead, Datang Field Holdings will thoroughly implement the national strategic deployment on expanding high-level opening up and promoting mutual benefit and win-win results. It will effectively leverage its professional expertise and rich resources in investment, law, foreign-related affairs, auditing and other fields. With an open attitude, a pragmatic style and innovative thinking, it will actively fulfill the duties of a council member unit. We will fully operate international resource connection platforms such as the Shaanxi Foreigners Service Platform and the International Sister City Chang 'an Express, deeply participate in and promote the development of various people-to-people diplomacy activities, act as a "booster" for Shaanxi's opening up and a "translator" for people-to-people diplomacy, accurately convey industrial opportunities, cultural values and cooperation consensus By establishing a long-term mechanism for people-to-people diplomacy, fostering new drivers of international cooperation, and telling the Shaanxi chapter of China's story well, we will demonstrate Shaanxi's strength and interpret its responsibility, injecting people-to-people wisdom, consolidating people-to-people consensus, and stimulating people-to-people vitality into promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.