In line with China’s goal of expanding and strengthening peopleto-people cooperation with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), a small delegation from the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) is in Manila on a three-day mission to explore the possibility of holding a “high-level regional people’s dialog” within the year. The delegation led by You Jianhua, CNIE secretary general, will meet with incumbent and former government officials to discuss areas of cooperation between China and the Philippines that need improvement. Since it’s founding in 2005, the CNIE has played a crucial role in China’s peopleto-people diplomacy in promoting Chinese NGOs’ participation in major international events and initiating a series of influential NGO events in multiple dimensions. Before the start of his official meetings with government officials, You and his team found time to sit down for tea with representatives of The Manila Times and the Manila Bulletin who recently visited China on the invitation of People’s Daily, China’s largest and most influential staterun media company. From left to right: Guo Yifeng, CNIE Deputy Division Director, CNIE translator and project assistant Isabella Tang, Manila Times columnist Tita Valderama, CNIE Secretary General You Jianhua, Manila Times Editor-in-Chief Nerilyn Tenorio, Manila Bulletin Entertainment Editor Jojo Panaligan, CNIE Deputy Division Director Yang Nuo, CNIE Projects Director Du Xiaolin, Chinese Embassy Third Secretary of the Political Section Wu Lin and China Harbor Engineering Co. Ltd. Assistant General Manager Zhang Donglou. PHOTO BY RUY MARTINEZ