In Memory of Jordan M. Phillips - China＇s ＂American Bethune＂

IN the vocabulary of the Chinese, ＂Bethune＂ is the ultimate synonym for the noble figure.Norman Bethune＇s reputation was made in the anti-Japanese war period when the Canadian physician trudged the frontiers under heavy gunfire to treat the great many Chi- nese wounded. Adding virtual martyrdom to his heroic qualities, Bethune eventually died in the anti-fascist battlefield, from exhaustion and complications contracted from surgery. ＂What kind of spirit is this,＂ asked Mao Zedong in his famous 1939 article ＂In memory of Norman Bethune,＂ ＂that makes a foreigner selflessly adopt the cause of the Chinese people＇s liberation as his own？＂     

In Dr. Norman Bethune’s Hometown——A Visit to Canada

At the invitation of the Federation of Canada-China Friendship Associations (FCCFA), a CPAFFC working group paid a goodwill visit to Canada from September 5 to 15, 2008. The two members of the group, who visited Canada for the first time, were deeply impressed by the country's vast land, tranquil and clear lakes, magnificent undulating mountains and hospitable people of various ethnic groups. During the visit, the group through contacting the Canadian friendship-with-China organizations enhanced mutual understanding, visited the birthplace of Doctor Norman Bethune and the cities where he had studied and worked, and had exchanges and sought cooperation with various sides of Canada for the activities to be held in 2009 in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the death of Dr. Bethune and the publication of Chairman Mao's article In Memory of Norman Bethune.     

CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin Heads 7th Say It As It Is Delegation to the U.S.

In interpersonal communication, to "tell it like it is", and listen to others sincerely, is simple yet most admired.This is also applicable to the State-level diplomatic intercourse. The project of Say It As It Is came into being as the times required, and has gradually developed into a brand-project in people-to-people diplomacy with the United States. It has helped build a bridge of communication between the Chinese people from all walks of life and US congressmen     

Accelerating the Pace of CPC Transformation——An Interview with Wang Changjiang,Director of the Party Building Teaching and Research Department,the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC

The Communist Party of China was founded in 1921 and came to power in 1949.It steered the country through a planned economy operating under trade blockades from 1949 to 1978,and ushered in a market economy under the reform and opening-up policy that took effect immediately afterwards.During this entire period,the CPC also transformed itself from a revolutionary party to a ruling party.Now civic awareness is growing among the Chinese people,and the market economy phase has nurtured an independent and autonomous spirit,which requires the Chinese leadership to promote political restructuring and the building of democratic institutions.     

Xishuangbanna——Home of the Dai nationality

Yunnan is a province of outstanding natural beauty and home to many colourful ethnic nationalities. These contrasts came home to me when I took the 1-hour flight south from Lijiang to Jinghong. Lijiang is dominated by great snow mountains and is home to the Tibetan-related Naxi people. Soon the mountains were left behind and the land below became a mixture of dense green forests interspersed with tea plantations and groves of     

Helen Snow Wins Special Honour

THIS morning in the quiet Fowler's NursingHome in Madison, Connecticut, a nearly 90-year-old woman was given special honour by the1.2 billion Chinese people. Mei Ping, Chinese Con-sul General in New York, came here specially topresent the medal and certificate of "Friendship Am-bassador" to Helen Snow, an old friend of the Chi-nese people, in recognition of her outstanding con-tribution to strengthening friendship between thepeoples of China and the United States. The title of "Friendship Ambassador" is thehighest honour the Chinese People's Association forFriendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) givesto foreign friends. Up till now, it has conferred this     

CPAFFC Vice President Li Xiaolin Leads Working Group to U. S.

When beautiful spring came to Beijing in 2003, and the CPAFFC was getting ready to greet another spring of people-to-people friendly exchanges with a new posture, a sudden outbreak of the SARS epidemic hit some Chinese provinces and municipalities, which resulted in the postponement or cancellation of all the planned exchange programmes. Those between China and the United     

Cultural Exchange Strengthens Ties

<正>The Year of Chinese Culture in Australia is poised to cement bonds between the Chinese and Australians As the Year of Australian Culture in China drew to a close in June,the Year of Chinese Culture in Australia,titled Experience China,came ons tage to showcase the rich variety of China’s traditional and contemporary culture to the Australians.The opening ceremony of the event was held on June 24 at the Sydney State Theater.It featured famous Chinese dancer Yang Liping’s original dance drama The Legend of Shangri-La.The Year of Chinese Culture in Australiais by far the largest Chinese cultural festival     

Gastronomic Wonderland——Catering Vogues

Chinese food is often the first encounter Westerners have with Chinese culture. Restaurants established by Chinese citizens abroad over the past three centuries effectively introduced Middle Kingdom cuisine to the world. But few Westerners comprehend the full magnitude of Chinese cuisine until they visit China. It is only then that they discover how similar ingredients cooked according to respective regional tastes create diverse, distinctive flavors and textures. The culinary excel-lence distilled in the so-called eight jewels of Chinese cuisine is achieved using the best of ingredients and techniques of each region while retaining local characteristics. Western visitors may also observe that, as in the West, dining is a favored setting for social and business intercourse. The catering trade is consequently as sensitive to changing market trends as the fashion industry.     

A Traditional Chinese Wedding

DAVID is a British man who came to work as a teacher in Beijing.There he met a girl called Miss Wang, and romance soon blos-somed between the two. They decided to get married, so they firstwent through the marriage registration procedures required by Chi-nese law. That was the easy part. When it came to the ceremonyitself, the young Briton found that he had much to learn about the Chinese way,as each detail of a traditional Chinese wedding symbolizes some cultural or philo-sophical elemen…     

Model of Innovation——Glimpse of Qingpu Prison

Having visited Tilanqiao Prison, I began to feel much better, with all the uneasiness and fears with "imnates" and "prisons" gone. On the way to Qingpu Prison I had learned that it is of a new model, quite civilized. The prison is a complex of white buildings surrounded by a wide stretch of garden, If not for the four Chinese characters "Qing Pu Jian Yu" on the gates, no one could guess that it is a prison. It is more like a university. From the production area to the living area, from the teaching building to the medical     

IS EUROPE IN DECLINE?

正It is time to re-evaluate the strength and influence of the power bloc On May 12,the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution refusing to grant China market economy status.It came as little surprise for many long-term observers of Europe,who have argued that the EU is trying to externalize its internal problems.The resolution can be interpreted as an EU protectionist strategy,seeking to limit the entry of Chinese products.     

A Festival of Chinese Sports Photographing

CCTV Chinese Sports Figures Photographing Competition was called a period on January 9. The competition combined the advantages of TV and photographing, best manifested the heroic bearing of Chinese athletes. 52 fine works came out, among which "The photo series of Chinese female hockey team", "Lifetime accomplishment" and the other ten works were voted to enter the second round to compete gold medals.The first round was held in Beijing King Wing Hot Spring Hotel. Based on the principle of being fare and square and open to public, the senate who were all experts in the field picked out the twelve works.     

Quick Facts About the Pipa (Chinese lute)

The pipa is a traditional Chinese musical instrument belonging to the category of plucked in-struments. The name "pipa" is made up of two Chinese syllables, "pi" (琵) and "pa" (琶), which refer to the two major hand postures when the instrument is played: "Pi" is to strike the strings outward with the right hand, and "pa" is to pluck the strings inward toward the palm of thehand.     

THE LAST RESTING PLACE OF KATHLEEN HALL

THE name of the great Canadian surgeon, Dr. Norman Bethune is a household word in China for his heroic work with the Eighth Route Army during the Anti-Japanese War. Little is known, however of the exploits of a New Zealand missionary nurse, Kathleen Hall, who worked closely alongside him. She was referred to in the well-known Bethune biography, "The Scalpel, The Sword." by Ted Allan and Sydney Gordon, which gives the folowing extract from Bethune's diary.     

Music and Sports as The Language of Unity——On Youth Delegation of Secours Populaire Francais’ Visit to China

From July 18 to August 1, a 40-member youth delegation of the Secours Populaire Francais (SPF) came to China and visited Beijing and Henan Province for music and sports exchanges with Chinese young people.     

Ambrosia of Ancients

IN 196 B.C. a Chinese philosopher observed to his ruler: "A lord's top priority is the welfare of his subjects; to the people, eating is foremost." Chinese ancients perceived clearly the essentiality of grain cultivation to the survival of the population and country as a whole. This is apparent in the pre-millennial term for "country" - sheji-literally translated as god of land and grain. To the peo-pIe of early agricultur-al China, land and grain were paramount.     

How China Protects People's Right to Labor——An interview with Labor and Social Security Minister Tian Chengping

EDITOR'S NOTE:Following is an interview given to our staff reporter by Chinese Minister Tian Chengping of Labor and Social Security on protection of the people's right to labor,which is an important part of the national endeavor to protect human rights.The minister spoke on a range of questions,including employment and reemployment of workers in Chinese cities,wages of migrant workers from the countryside,efforts to narrow the gap of income between different population groups,and protection of the legitimate rights and interests of the working masses.     

New Developments in an Old Friendship——An Interview with Charles Madibo Wagidoso,Ambassador of the Republic of Uganda to China

CHINA has long had a close relationship with Africa, and in recent years economic and political ties have grown even stronger. Both the Chinese government and private enterprises have significant investments on the African continent. Last November a 20-member governmental delegation came to Beijing from the central-east African nation of Uganda, to talk to Chinese political and business leaders about fostering economic and cultural links between the two countries. Shortly after the delegation＇s visit, two China Today reporters met with the Ugandan Ambassador, Mr. Charles Madibo Wagidoso, to discuss what was achieved, the ambassador＇s impressions of China and the upcoming Beijing Olympics.     

Friendship Envoy M. G. Hafiz

Mr. Mirza Gholam Hafiz, a prominentBangladesh statesman and social activist,is an old friend of the Chinese people. Fordecades he has made unremitting efforts to pro-mote the friendship between the Bangladesh andthe Chinese peoples.