On February 22, President Li Xiaolin attended the Symposium on China-Japan Cultural Exchanges, which was jointly hosted by the CPAFFC and the Japan-China Peace Development Promotion Association, during her visit to Japan. She exchanged ideas with Yukio Hatoyama, former Prime Minister of Japan, Hirono Shinichi, Managing Director of Shueisha Inc., Kazuhiko Oshida, Chair of Board of Trustees of Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, Hirayama Ren, Director of Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum, and Chen Jianzhong, Chairman of the Board of KOUZAN Fine-arts Company, learning about their opinions and suggestions on China-Japan cultural exchanges as well as plans for future cooperation based on the experiences of the cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Li Xiaolin introduced the influential large-scale cultural events co-hosted by the CPAFFC and various Japanese partners. She said the exhibition of Chinese Characters: A Legacy and Marvel Perfected Over Three Millennia and the dance drama Crested Ibises were put on show in many cities in Japan and received warm welcome from all walks of life in Japan, attracting hundreds of thousands of audiences and arousing great resonance. Since last year, a series of high-profile Japanese cultural exhibitions, such as Exhibition of Silk Road Antiques from Hirayama Ikuo Collection, Exhibition of 500 Years of Western Paintings Collections of Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, Touring Exhibition of Hello ONE PIECE, have also been put on show in China and received unprecedented interest from the audiences. These events not only brought senses of nostalgia, classics, fashion and vitality to the Chinese and Japanese audiences, but also effectively promoted China-Japan cultural exchanges and mutual learning and further enhanced mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.

She said that while continuing to promote the above-mentioned flagship activities in 2019, the CPAFFC will endeavor to make the documentary “Traditional Chinese Medicine, New World” in Japan, so as to spread the philosophy and culture of TCM to the world. In addition, the Chinese and Japanese Calligraphy Masterpieces Exhibition with the theme of the Belt and Road Initiative will be held in Japan in the second half of this year.

Participants present at the symposium expressed their opinions on the exchanges they were involved in. They thanked the CPAFFC for its support for Japan-China cultural exchanges over the years and expressed their willingness to work harder to contribute to the cultural exchanges and friendship between the two countries.

Li Xiaolin thanked them for their efforts in cultural exchanges between the two countries and encouraged them to make more efforts. She stressed that it is not easy for China-Japan relations to return to normal and the current state of bilateral relations should be cherished. In order to consolidate the achievements of China-Japan exchanges, the CPAFFC will promote the exchanges between the two countries in the fields of local government, culture and youth this year, and is looking forward to the support from all the participants.

In his speech, Yukio Hatoyama said that the political relations between Japan and China are improving but still not stable. It is precisely because of the continuous cultural exchanges that have helped improve the political relations between the two countries. He believes that the CPAFFC's commitment to Japan-China cultural exchanges is very important and fruitful. He sincerely hopes that this year's bilateral relations and friendly exchanges will be further enhanced, for which he is willing to do his best.