On 23 October 2025, President Yang Wanming of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met with Vincent Lemarchand, Chairman of the Rouen-Ningbo Friendship Committee, at the CPAFFC headquarters.
President Yang Wanming extended a warm welcome to Vincent Lemarchand on his visit to China and highlighted that since the establishment of sister-city relations between Ningbo and Rouen 35 years ago, cooperation between the two cities has flourished in multiple areas, including economy and trade, education, and culture, producing fruitful results. The partnership between these two cities has become an exemplary model of China-France sister-city cooperation. President Yang emphasized that these achievements are the result of the joint efforts of the peoples of two cities, and that much of the success is attributable to the decades of dedication and hard work by committed individuals such as Vincent Lemarchand. He expressed the CPAFFC's pleasure in seeing the bond between Chinese and French cities deepen through exchanges and in witnessing sister-city cooperation translate into tangible benefits and shared well-being for the peoples of Rouen and Ningbo, as well as for the peoples of China and France. President Yang affirmed that the CPAFFC will continue to support efforts that bring more visible and meaningful outcomes from such partnerships, further solidifying the public support for the enduring friendship between China and France.
Vincent Lemarchand noted that he has visited China more than 60 times since 1987. Returning for this visit on the occasion of his 83rd birthday, he expressed heartfelt gratitude for the warm reception extended by President Yang and his friends at the CPAFFC. He shared his personal experience of witnessing the significant development achievements of Chinese cities, particularly Ningbo, which he considers vivid examples of Chinese modernization in practice. As Chairman of the Rouen-Ningbo Friendship Committee, Vincent Lemarchand pledged to continue his wholehearted commitment to promoting China-France friendship. He expressed his determination to keep serving as a bridge between the two sides and to make new contributions to strengthening the friendship between the peoples of Rouen and Ningbo, as well as between France and China.
Hao Zhongwei, Director-General of the Department of European and Asian Affairs of the CPAFFC, and Bao Xianping, Director-General of the Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office, were present at the meeting.
