History and Mission
The District of Columbia Metro Area Chapter was part of the national organization of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association founded in 1974 working on people-to-people diplomacy between Americans and Chinese. The organization in Washington soon became very active with a diverse following, and at one time had more than 500 members.
Membership in the District of Columbia organization peaked as elsewhere in the 1980s but changed in the early 1990s when the organization was restructured. The National Office was moved from Washington, DC to New York City, while the Eastern Regional Office remained in Boston, and many of the District of Columbia local office members were encouraged to join the chapter in Richmond, Virginia.
In 2010, members of the USCPFA Eastern region living in the Washington Metropolitan area decided to seek the active chapter status of the organization to be once again located in Washington, DC, and was granted the charter by the national organization to do so in late 2011.
The current mission of the District of Columbia Metropolitan Area Chapter (DC Metro Area Chapter) of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association (USCPFA) is that of a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501c3 educational organization. We pride ourselves on the diversity of our membership. Continuing to work on diplomacy between the Americans and Chinese, the DC Metro Area Chapter program area encompasses the quadrants of the District of Columbia as well as the Washington metropolitan areas of Virginia and Maryland. Our goal is to help in continuing to build active and lasting friendship based on mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of China.
We recognize that the friendship between our two peoples must be based on the knowledge of and respect for the sovereignty of each country; therefore, we respect the declaration by the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China that the resolution of the status of Taiwan is the internal affair of the Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.
As an educational organization, our activities include sponsoring speakers and programs which inform the American people about China; working with the national organization to organize tours and special study groups to China; encouraging our local students to become interested in and facilitating their participation in the language and cultural programs about China; promoting friendship with Chinese students and scholars while in the United States; and promoting cultural, commercial, technical, and educational exchanges.
Our chapter, like the national organization, is financed by membership dues, individual donations, and local fund-raising activities. Everyone is invited to participate in our activities and anyone who agrees with the Statement of Principles is welcome to join.
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