Mme. Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) met in China National Convention Center with Mr. ISHII TAKAKAZU, governor of Toyama-ken, Mr. TASSO TAKUYA, governor of Iwate-ken and other Japanese guests attending Local Cooperation Sub-forum of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) on the afternoon of April 25th. Mr. Song Jingwu, vice president of CPAFFC, Mme. Zhu Dan and Mr. Cheng Haibo, deputy director generals of Department of Japanese Affairs, attended the meeting.

President Li Xiaolin thanked Japanese guests for paying special visit to China this time to attend the BRF and spoke highly of contributions Japanese local governments including Toyama-ken and Iwate-ken had made for a long time to deepen the exchanges and cooperation in various fields of the two countries, improve the bilateral relations. She said, with the joint efforts by the governments and various circles in two countries, the current bilateral relations have returned to normal track showing positive signs. This year is an important year for the two countries and the bilateral ties. 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. China will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Japan’s new imperial era to begin on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes emperor, will be called Reiwa. G20 Summit will be held in Japan in June. He sincerely expected that the local governments and other circles of the two countries could take the important opportunities of the Belt and Road Initiative and improving the Sino-Japanese relations to deepen the cooperation between the two countries and the third market, commonly protect the multilateralism and free trade, promote people-to-people connectivity, consolidate the basis of friendship and make important contributions to keeping stability and prosperity in the region and even the world.

Governors ISHII TAKAKAZU and TASSO TAKUYA thanked CPAFFC for inviting them to attend BRF. They felt the extensive influence and great achievements of the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative in the world through attending BRF this time. The cooperation of the local governments is an important component for the bilateral ties. BRF this time specially set up the local cooperation sub-forum, which fully showed the attention paid by China to strengthening the local cooperation with the countries in the world. There is still a huge space and great potential for the local governments of the two countries to develop cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. They would like to take attending BRF as an opportunity to further keep close exchanges and cooperation with Chinese relevant regions and make more contributions to improving the Sino-Japanese relations.

Governor ISHII TAKAKAZU delivered a speech for Japanese sides on this local government sub-forum and made an introduction about the results Toyama-ken had achieved during developing the exchanges and cooperation with China. At last, he expressed active prospect of the cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Photographed by Wang Lin