In 1983, a Chinese photographic delegation, headed by Lu Houmin, vice-chairman of CPA, visited Senegal, Guinea, Niger in western Africa and Algeria in northern Africa. It exhibited 83 Chinese photographic works in Senegal and Niger. It was the first time for Chinese photographers to visit Africa. The visit was aimed to understanding photographic activities in these countries. It introduced China through the photographic show. It introduced Africa to China through taking photos on the folk customs and people’s lives in these African countries. In 1984, the delegation exhibited in Beijing 110 photos taken in its visit to the four African countries, attracting a lot of audiences. It contributed to making the Chinese people appreciate the landscape of modern Africa and enhancing understanding and friendship with African people.

Other important visits of the photographic delegations in the 1980s included the visit of the photographic delegation, headed by Cai Shangxiong, CPA managing director, to Italy in 1983; the visit of Cui Yiping, a famous photographer, to Yugoslavia in 1980 and to Hungary in 1986; the visit of the photographic delegation, led by CPA chairman Xu Xiaobing, to DPRK in 1986; the visit of the photographic delegation, led by CPA vice-chairman Chen Bo, to Thailand in 1988; the visit of famous photographer Wu Yinxian to France in 1988; and the visit of CPA vice-chairman Yang Shaoming to Romania in 1989. As it entered the 1990s, leading officials of CPA, who were also famous photographers, Xu Xiaobing, Shi Shaohua, Gao Fan, Yang Shaoming, Lu Houmin, Chen Shufen and Liu Bang, led delegations to visit the United States, Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, Republic of Korea, Philippines, and Hong Kong. These visits facilitated mutual understanding and drew the photographic circles in various countries and regions closer.

In the perspective of professional photographing, a Chinese photographic delegation, headed by Pei Zhi, chairman of China Sport Photographic Association, visited Britain at the invitation of China-UK Culture Association, and held a photographic exhibition in London in 1984. It also visited the British Royal Photograph Society, Kodak Museum, and York National Photograph and Cinema Museum. It found it worthwhile to learn from the British methods to pack up and preserve photographic data.

In this period, many senior executives of photographic groups and famous photographers from many countries paid friendly visits and made professional exchanges in China. The earliest to come to China was the photographic touring party, led by Chen Licheng, president of the Singapore Photography Society, in 1978. In 1980, the Japanese Photographic Culture Deleation, headed by Watanabe Yoshio, president of Japan Photo Association, visited China. It exchanged views with the Chinese counterparts on photographic creation, photographic education, and photography production technologies. In 1981, American Society of Magazine Photographers Chairman Green visited China. He was followed by his successor Newman in 1982. They talked with leading officials of CPA on the performances of each organization. In 1984, Japan Photo Association new president Miki Jun visited China and participated in the inauguration of a modern Japanese photography exhibition. The exhibition presented works of outstanding Japanese photographers, which showed the photographic schools and styles of the photographic circle from 1945 to 1980, and the process of evolution. In 1985, Royal Photographic Society chairman Angel, H. led the British photographic delegation to China and held a British photographic exhibition in Beijing.

In the 1990s, a large number of people from the international photographic circles were invited to visit China. They included the Philippines delegation headed by Chen Yingda, chairman of the Philippines Color Photography Association (1993), Vietnam Photographer Delegation, headed by Huang Sizhai, secretary general of Vietnam Photographer Association (1993), and Korean Photographer Association delegation, headed by Li Ming (1993). In May 1994, a 48-member Swedish photographic delegation, headed by Swedish Professional Photographer Association Chairman Olsson, visited China, and held a photo show, enabling Chinese audiences to acquaint with the development and unique features of northern Europe. From 1995 to 1996, many famous photographers and photographic group leaders from foreign countries paid friendly visits to China, exchanged professional knowledge, and took photos in the country. They contributed to introducing the achievements of Chinese reform, opening up and socialist construction, and the lives of the Chinese people, landscapes, scenic spots, historic sites and culture to the outside world. In June 1997, an 18-member photographic delegation from New York University made a friendly visit to China.

Great achievements were made in holding photographic exhibitions in each other’s countries. Statistics show that from 1978 to 1996, China sponsored nearly 200 photo shows across the world. They fully demonstrated China’s centuries-old history, splendid culture, achievements from reform, opening up and socialist economic construction, local landscapes, and folk customs. They played significant roles to expand China’s influences, facilitate people from across the world to understand China better, and develop Sino-foreign friendly ties. During the period, China exhibited many photographic shows abroad, as represented by Chinese Photographic Works Exhibition (1981, France), Chinese Landscape Photography Show (1982, the United States), Huang Xiang’s Photography Show (1983, the United States), Three Decades of Chinese Photography (1930 – 1960) (1984, France), Photo Show on Chinese Leaders Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping (1985, the United States), China in Two Eras – Photo Show of Wu Yinxian (1991, Brazil and Switzerland), Chinese Photography Show (1993, Austria, Philippines and Nepal), Chinese Photo Show (1995, Spain and Latvia), and Chinese Landscape Photo Show (1997, Philippines).

In this period, many countries and many famous foreign photographers held photo shows in major Chinese cities. In 1979, Hines, a Spanish photographer, held a photo show in Beijing. It was the first photo show by a foreigner in the country after the Cultural Revolution, indicating the Chinese photographic circle greeted a new spring in exchanges with foreign countries. In 1980, Hayon, an American photographer, held a photo show in China. These two photo shows of foreign photographers sparked quite a stir in the country. They were warmly received by the Chinese photographic circle and audiences.