China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) was established in October 2005 as a national non-profit civil society organization with independent legal person status. It is mainly composed of national NGOs and personages from various social fields engaging in research and practices in peace and disarmament, social development, science and education, culture and art, health care, environmental protection, democracy and human rights, ethnic and religious affairs, policy advocacy and law, business and commerce, public welfare and charity, poverty alleviation and disability assistance as well as women and youth affairs. CNIE has 265 member organizations (of which 36 are with consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council), and over 180 individual council members.

　　CNIE’s current president is Mr. Sun Jiazheng, Vice-Chairman of the 11th CPPCC National Committee and Chairman of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

　　As an NGO network dedicated to international exchanges and cooperation, CNIE engages with NGOs and personages both home and abroad, with a view to promoting exchanges and cooperation between Chinese NGOs and their counterparts in the rest of the world and enhancing people-to-people friendship.

　　Since its founding, CNIE has been working actively, on the one hand, to encourage its members to participate in major international NGO events and, on the other, stage impressive activities on its own. As a result, CNIE is regarded highly in the international civil society with extensive rallying capacity.

　　After being awarded the general consultative status to ECOSOC in 2008, CNIE has played an important role in coordinating the participation of Chinese NGOs in such major events of the United Nations as the UN Conference on Climate Change, sessions of the UN Human Rights Council, annual UN DPI/NGO conferences, and the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. By making presentations, submitting reports and hosting side meetings and exhibitions during these events, CNIE has not only become the mouthpiece of the Chinese civil society in the international community, but also related extensively to institutions within the UN system and other international organizations. CNIE has also played host to or a part in major multi-lateral NGO events like the Global Summit of Women, Asia-Europe People’s Forum and the World Social Forum. To facilitate people-to-people cooperation between China and African countries, CNIE launched China-Africa People’s Forum in 2011 which, to date, has alternated four times in China and African countries. To enhance people-to-people communication and collaboration between China and Southeast Asian countries, CNIE initiated China-Southeast Asia High-Level People-to-People Dialogue in 2013 which has been held twice in China and Indonesia respectively. CNIE has also hosted Cross-Himalaya Dialogue for China, India and Nepal, and other bilateral events like China-Myanmar Roundtable on People–to-people Exchanges and China-Mongolia People-to-People Dialogue, all with the purpose of consolidating social foundation and garnering public support for the development of state-to-state relations between China and relevant countries. On July 5-6, 2016, CNIE hosted Civil Society 20 China 2016, an important engagement group of the G20 Summit, aimed at listening to the voices of the broader society, making the G20 Summit more inclusive and garnering broad popular support for G20 cooperation. Recommendations in the C20 Communique were largely incorporated in the G20 Leaders’ Communique Hangzhou Summit. CNIE has also been active in public welfare and charity projects in African and Southeast Asian countries such as well-drilling, free cataract surgeries and classroom equipment donations through collaboration with local partners.

　　CNIE, along with the broad civil society in China, will always remain devoted to deepen exchanges and cooperation with national, regional and international counterparts around the world, practicing the philosophy of “voices from the people, friendship among the people and cooperation for the people”, thus contributing to the building of a harmonious world of lasting peace and shared prosperity through safeguarding world peace, and promoting common development.

　　At the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May, 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that we will build a Silk Road NGO Cooperation Network. As China’s largest NGO network specialized in international exchanges and cooperation, CNIE initiated the establishment of the Silk Road NGO Cooperation Network (hereinafter referred to as the Network). By far, over 270 NGOs have voluntarily joined the Network.

　　The highest policy decision-making body is the Membership Congress. The Council is the executive organ of the Membership Congress. The Executive Council is the functioning body between the Council meetings. The Secretariat handles daily affairs of CNIE.