From November 4 to 8, Yuan Mindao, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), led a China-Japan friendship delegation on a visit to Japan. During the visit, Yuan met with officials from Tokushima Prefecture and representatives from related organizations, including the Iskra Industry Co., Ltd., the Shorinji Kempo Group, the Japan Association for Study of Traditional Chinese Medicines, and the Kouzan Fine-Arts Company. The discussions focused on strengthening China-Japan people-to-people exchanges and enhancing subnational exchanges and cooperation. While in Tokyo, the delegation attended a symposium regarding a visit by the Iskra Industry Co., Ltd. to China, which included learning about China's revolutionary war and its historical significance.
Yuan Mindao emphasized that the foundation of China-Japan friendship lies with the people. He noted that, last month, President Xi Jinping met with foreign guests at the China International Friendship Conference and Events Marking the 70th Anniversary of the CPAFFC. During this meeting, President Xi delivered a significant speech highlighting the role of people-to-people diplomacy in fostering mutual understanding and cooperation. President Xi proposed working together to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Yuan reaffirmed the CPAFFC's commitment to collaborating with like-minded individuals from all sectors of society in both countries to promote friendly exchanges and practical cooperation at both subnational and people-to-people levels. He expressed the CPAFFC's dedication to contributing to the steady and sustainable growth of China-Japan relations.
Japanese participants who had attended President Xi's meeting expressed their encouragement and renewed confidence after hearing his speech. They reiterated their commitment to strengthening people-to-people exchanges and expressed a strong desire to intensify cooperation with the CPAFFC to advance the cause of China-Japan people-to-people friendship. President Chen Zhiqing and Director Yumiko Yoshida of the Iskra Industry Co., Ltd. shared that their visit to China, particularly to learn the spirit of the Long March, has profoundly impacted their employees. The experience gave their younger team members a deeper understanding of China's remarkable development achievements and inspired enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility to contribute to the Japan-China friendship. Gotoda Masazumi, Governor of Tokushima Prefecture, also expressed a strong willingness to deepen practical cooperation with its sister province, Hunan, as well as other regions in China. He highlighted areas such as economy and trade, people-to-people exchanges, and youth engagement as key fields for further collaboration.
