Mme. Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met in Beijing with Mr. YOKOI YUTAKA, ambassador of Embassy of Japan in China on April 22. Mr. Song Jingwu, vice president of CPAFFC, attended the meeting.

President Li Xiaolin said, under the common efforts of the governments and various circles of the two countries, China-Japan relations had returned to normal track and showed positive signs. As a window for China to develop nongovernmental exchanges with Japan, CPAFFC had held a series of activities, including the Third China-Japan Governors Forum, the Reception for the 40th Anniversary of China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship since 2018, which pushed for the exchanges and cooperation of the two countries in various circles and helped to improve the bilateral relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed many times, friendship between the peoples holds the key to sound state-to-state relations, and heart-to-heart communication contributes to deeper friendship. Last October, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited China. During the visit, the leaders of the two countries determined this year as China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year. Both sides have agreed to arrange for the exchange and visits of 30,000 young people in the next five years. Some time ago, MFA (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China) and CPAFFC successfully held the opening ceremony of China-Japan Youth Exchange Promoting Year in Beijing. CPAFFC would like to work with the relevant departments of the two countries to continue nurturing China-Japan friendship among future generations through face-to-face and heart-to-heart exchanges of the youth between China and Japan, so as to realize the people-to-people ties and enable the friendship to pass on from generation to generation.
Ambassador YOKOI YUTAKA said, at present, the Sino-Japanese relations have been obviously improved. It is inspiring that both sides have actively developed the exchanges of the two countries in the fields of local governments, culture and people-to-people. Japan’s new imperial era to begin on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes emperor, will be called Reiwa. China will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China. Therefore, this year is a very important year for the two countries and the bilateral ties. The Sino-Japanese relations confronted with important opportunities to be further improved. The Japanese Embassy in China would give CPAFFC and other relevant institutions of the two countries a lot of support in developing the exchanges and cooperation in various fields, including youth exchanges, consolidating the basis of friendship, deepening pragmatic cooperation and pushing for new progress in bilateral relations.

President Li Xiaolin also made an introduction about the second Belt and Road Forum for International and Cooperation (BRF) to be held from April 25 to 27 in China.