1)? Friendly Contacts with Muslims in VariousCountries and RegionsAs the reform and opening up to the outside world progresses further, and the relations with Arab and Islamic countries further develops, the China Islamic Association has built up friendly contacts and cooperation with some Islamic countries in Asia and Africa and also with some international Islamic organizations such as the Muslim World League, the World Islamic Call Society, the Egyptian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council.
Since 1978 when the China Islamic Association received Sheikh Zabara, general Mufti of the Yemeni Republic, for the first time, it has received more than 40 visiting delegations or individuals from many countries and places, and over one thousand foreign guests. Among the visitors some were state leaders or heads of certain Islamic organizations, such as Libyan president Qaddafi, ex-president of Sudan Numeiri, formerspeaker of the parliament of Iran Rafsanjani, secretary-general of the Muslim World League Dr. Naseef and vice secretary- general Abudi, director of the office of special assistance of the World Islamic Development Bank Dr. Salim, Asia coordinator of the Muslim World League Juma, former secretary-general of the World Muslim Congress Mr. Inamulahan, Saudi Crown Prince Abdul Aziz and Prince Sultan. The Association has also received visiting delegations from Islamic countries or organizations, such as the delegation of the Ministry of Religious Foundation of Morocco, the delegation of the Muslim World League led by Jamjoom (chairman of the Holy Qur"an committee of MWL and former minister of industry and commerce of Saudi Arabia), president and his companions of the International Islamic University of Pakistan, chief editor and his colleagues of “Pyramids” newspaper from Egypt, the Holy Qur"an reciters from Egypt and Libya, and delegations from Algeria, Somalia, Niger, Brunei, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Iraq, Syria, Hong Kong and Taiwan. What is worth mention is that the secretary-general of the Muslim World League Dr. Naseef went to the Northwest of China to visit Muslim there and was warmly received by the local Muslim community.
The China Islamic Association also dispatched delegationsor individuals to attend various international Islamic conferences. For example, the delegation of the Association attended the 13th Assembly of the Egyptian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, the14th International Conference on Islamic Unity in Iran, the 13th Annual Meeting of the World Islamic Call Society in Libya. Imam Chen Guangyuan, president of the Association, visited Hong Kong and Macao at the joint invitation of the Islamic organizations in these two places.
Chinese Muslims have always been concerned about poor Muslims all over the world. The China Islamic Association provided one million RMB in relief for Muslims in Somalia and Afghanistan. In 2002, the Chinese Government provided 100 million US dollars in aid for Afghani refugees.
The Islamic cause in China has received support and help from foreign Muslims as well. The World Islamic Development Bank that has 55 member countries has contributed funds for the construction of Islamic institutes of Xinjiang, Beijing, Ningxia, Kunming, Zhengzhou, Shenyang and Lanzhou, and Tong Arabic School and Tianjin Hui Professional High School. The Muslim World League, the World Islamic Call Society, and the IQRAA Charitable Society have all helped Chinese Muslims with material aid. President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Zaid haspresented printing equipment to the Association to promote Islamic culture in China. Saudi Crown Prince Abdul Aziz has also made donations to the Chinese Islamic cause.
In 1987, the China Islamic Association cooperated with the Muslim World League and successfully held the Symposium on Islamic Da"wah, and also cooperated with the Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization and IQRAA Charitable Society in holding the Experience-Exchanging Class for Arabic Teaching at the China Islamic Institute in 1997.
