Representative Offices

Qinghai Representative Office

During 2007, FOC has continued its commitment to serve the people of Qinghai Province by introducing foreign experts to do community development, education, training and health-care work. FOC has greatly appreciated its relationship with provincial, county and municipal government departments in Qinghai Province.

FOC’s Qinghai office employs three foreign administrative workers and one local full-time office secretary who facilitates day-to-day work for FOC including translation, interpretation, and official business with provincial, county and local government agencies.

Cooperation with Yihua in Sichuan

FOC previously maintained its main China Office in Chengdu. Due to recent changes in the laws and regulations regarding foundations and non-profit organizations, FOC closed its Chengdu office during 2006 and entered into a relationship with the newly registered YiHua International Cultural Exchange and Development Center (YiHua) in Chengdu. YiHua is a locally owned, locally registered non-profit organization. As part of its service, it represents FOC in Sichuan, as well as providing coordination for all of FOC’s work in China.

Through YiHua, FOC has continued to introduce and give professional support to foreign experts, teachers and students in Sichuan province, as well as seeking other ways to assist in the social development of Sichuan. By working together with YiHua, FOC feels that that it will have even greater opportunities to collaborate with the local government and people of Sichuan.

FOC has greatly appreciated its relationship with provincial, county and municipal government departments in Sichuan Province.

Shaanxi Representative Office

Friends of China Foundation was registered in Xi’an, Shaanxi in 1999. Its primary purpose is to manage, supervise and expand the activities of Friends of China Foundation in Shaanxi Province. FOC is developing Shaanxi to be the FOC training center, a place where individuals can learn the Chinese language and culture, before moving to their next location to assist in the development of Western China. To this end, in addition to the China-wide Language Consultant appointed in 2003 and based in Xi’an, in 2005 FOC appointed a China-wide Training Manager, also based in Xi’an. During 2007 the FOC Shaanxi Representative Office assisted in FOC’s China-wide planning and development work, especially in the area of training and language and culture learning.

Henan Representative Office

As well as a number of expatriate staff, 4-5 local Chinese staff were employed by FOC’s Henan Regional Office up until the time that the office registration expired at the end of October 2007. Their work had mainly been the establishment of social welfare projects such as the Henan Qisehua Welfare Kindergarten Project and the Youhua Heath and Welfare Development Center (Youhua), both described in the following section of this report. Now many of those staff are employed by the new, independently registered Youhua organization. FOC is keen to continue its cooperation with Youhua into the future.