At the invitation of former Prime Minister of France Mr. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Ambassador Cheng Tao, Vice President of CPIFA， visited France from 24 to 27 August. On 27 August, Ambassador Cheng attended a seminar “Africa sees China” in Poitiers sponsored by the Prospect and Innovation Foundation. The conference was chaired by Mr. Raffarin and attended by more than 300 scholars and dignitaries in the political, economic and academic fields from France and African countries. Mr. Jean-François Copé，President of the UMP Group in the French National Assembly, Ms. Anne-Marie Idrac, Secretary of State of Foreign Trade, Mr. Jacques Legendre, former Secretary of State of Labour, and Mr. Ibrahim Keita, former Prime Minister of Mali, spoke on Sino-African relations, China’s role in Africa and cooperation among China, Europe and Africa. Ambassador Cheng elaborated on China-African relations, China’s Africa policies and prospects for China-African cooperation.  Ambassador Cheng also met with Mr. Olivier Colom, Adviser for G20, G8, UN and Climate Change Negotiations, Office of the President of France, and exchanged views with heads of the Charles de Gaulle Foundation and Victor Segalen Foundation on further cooperation between CPIFA and the two institutions.
       After France, Ambassador Cheng visited the Czech Republic and Slovakia from 28 August to 2 September at the invitations of the Institute of International Relations in Prague (IIR) and the Slovakia Society of International Relations (SSIR). In Czech Republic, he met with Mr. Petr Drulák, Director of IIR, and Mr. Jaromir Slapota, President of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute. In Slovakia, Ambassador Cheng was received by Mr. Robert Fico, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, President of Direction Party and former Prime Minister. He also had discussions with scholars at the SSIR. The two sides exchanged views on China-Czech and China-Slovakia relations and the future of EU integration. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discussing with scholars at the SSIR.