SUVA, July 2 -- A high-level delegation from the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) arrived in Fiji on Wednesday to explore new levels of partnership between Fiji and China.

The delegation, comprising eight senior officials from the CPAFFC and headed by Zhang Heqiang, director general of CPAFFC's Department of American and Oceanian Affairs, was received from the Nadi International Airport Wednesday morning by Dr Jiko Luveni, Fiji's Minister for Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation, who is also the president of the Fiji China Friendship Association.

Invited by the Fiji China Friendship Association, the Chinese delegation will be in the South Pacific island country till Friday.

The delegation is expected to renew the existing friendship between the CPAFFC and the Fiji China Friendship Association, as well as look at new levels of partnership in areas of economic development, women empowerment and other areas of common interest.

Founded on May 3, 1954, the CPAFFC is a national people's organization engaged in people-to-people diplomacy of the People's Republic of China.

The aims of the association are to enhance people's friendship, further international cooperation, safeguard world peace and promote common development. It has set up 46 China-regional or China-national friendship organizations and established relationship of friendly cooperation with nearly 500 non- government organizations and institutions in 157 countries.

The Fiji China Friendship Association was launched in February 2012 to strengthen bilateral exchanges between Fiji and China.