Sino-American Friendship Association
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Formation | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Type | 501(c)3 organization |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Website | www |
The Sino-American Friendship Association (SAFA) is a nonprofit organization based in New York City whose stated aim is to develop cross-cultural collaboration between the United States and China. SAFA assists schools in running Chinese cultural clubs and hosting "Chinese culture weeks."[1] SAFA also promotes traditional Chinese medicine,[2] participates in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade[3] and Times Square Ball Drop,[4] and has organized trips to mainland China for members to meet with officials of the United Front Work Department.[5][6] SAFA has organized trips for American mayors to China with the support of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.[7] In 2012, SAFA paid for a promotional slideshow of Xi Jinping on a Times Square jumbotron during one of his visits to the United States.[8]
SAFA's honorary president is Yuan Xikun.[9][5] The group's advisory board includes officials such as Bingde Zhou, former vice president of China News Service, and former Chinese consul general in New York Zhongwen Qu.[5]
The group garnered public attention in August 2022 following its sponsorship of a New York Mets game that included memorabilia with the flag of the People's Republic of China.[5][10] SAFA subsequently stated that it is "not involved in united front work."[11]
