The 3rd “Friendship Cup” Sino-foreign Government-enterprise Football Invitational opened at the Beijing Tiantan Sports Activity Center on August 22, 2026. Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), attended the opening ceremony and declared the Invitational open. Li Xingqian, Vice Chairman of the CCPIT, and Radouane Chaouki, Charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in China, attended and delivered speeches. Also present at the event were Yuan Yongqing, Vice President of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), along with representatives from relevant Chinese government ministries, the Dongcheng District People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, foreign embassies in China, business chambers and associations operating in China, and foreign-invested enterprises.

The Invitational is hosted by the CCPIT and supported by the CFA, the Dongcheng District People’s Government, and other organizations. It aims to provide a platform for interaction and exchange among foreign embassies in China, business chambers and associations, foreign-invested enterprises, and relevant Chinese government agencies and companies, as well as to deepen exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign governments and enterprises. A total of 24 teams are competing in this year’s Invitational.