Ｃｈｉｎａ－Ｊａｐａｎ Ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓｈｉｐ Ａｓｓｏｃｉａｔｉｏｎ Ｄｅｌｅｇａｔｉｏｎ ｉｎ Ｊａｐａｎ

Ｚｈｅｎｇ　Ｌｉｄａｎ

Invited by the Shorinji Kempo Group and the Japan-China Friendship Association (JCFA), the China-Japan Friendship Association (CJFA) delegation led by Vice President Jing Dunquan visited Tokyo, Miyazaki and Fukuoka from November 2 to 9, 2007. During its stay in Japan, from November 2 to 4, the delegation attended a series of activities celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Shorinji Kempo, and exchanged views with the organization on promoting future contact. From November 5 to 9, the delegation had a working meeting with the leading members from the JCFA headquarters and its local branches, and called on heads of local governments and assemblies including Hideo Higashikokubaru, governor of Miyazaki, Hiroshi Yoshida, mayor of Fukuoka, and Hiroshi Kubo, vice president of the Fukuoka City Assembly. They had frank and in-depth discussions on current Sino-Japanese relations, strengthening exchanges and cooperation between the two friendship associations and further enhancing exchanges and cooperation between the local governments of the two countries.

Attending Celebration of 60th Anniversary of Shorinji Kempo

In Tokyo, Vice President Jing Dunquan and his party attended the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Shorinji Kempo and successively met with heads of the Shorinji Kempo Group including President Yuki So, Chairman Tsunehiro Arai and Zenrin Gakuen President Hiromichi Yamasaki, during which they reached agreement on strengthening exchanges and cooperation and on pushing forward the project of exchange between the youth of China and Japan. Vice President Jing also met with important political figures including Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Masahiko Komura and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki, and exchanged views with them on expanding Sino-Japanese nongovernmental relations.

In his speech at the celebration of the 60th anniversary of Shorinji Kempo, Vice President Jing extended his congratulations on the 60th anniversary of the organization, and praised its founding father Doshin So for his persistence in Sino-Japanese friendship and his great contributions to the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan and the friendly exchanges between the two countries. His successor, President Yuki So carried on his fathers behest and made unremitting efforts to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people, especially in promoting cultural and sports exchanges. The Vice President said, he hoped under the leadership of Yuki So the Shorinji Kempo Group would continue to work for Sino-Japanese lasting friendship and make new contributions to the cultural exchanges between the two sides.

Yuki So said, for 60 years since the founding of Shorinji Kempo, the Group has persistently held to the concept advocated by its founder: “For realizing world peace we have to start with friendly relations between Japan and China. China is Japans neighbouring country and without Sino-Japanese friendship peace in Asia is impossible, no peace in Asia, no peace in the world.” Therefore, we have been working for the cause of friendship between the two countries. I have accompanied my father on his visit to China and was deeply touched by the friendly feelings between our two peoples through my contact with Chinese friends. Now, I am responsible for passing on this conviction in friendship between Japan and China so that our two peoples will enjoy friendship generation after generation.

Strengthening Cooperation with JCFA

At meetings with leaders from the JCFA headquarters and its local branches, Vice President Jing highly praised the organization for its ceaseless efforts ever since its establishment to promote people-to-people exchanges and the development of Sino-Japanese relations, despite all the difficulties. He said, the year 2007 is the 35th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan as well as the China-Japan Culture and Sports Exchange Year. Exchanges of visit between high-ranking officials have been smoothly conducted, and a series of colourful friendly exchanges have been carried out by both sides in all fields, pushing bilateral relations to a higher stage. He emphasized, nature has made China and Japan forever neighbours and it is only long-lasting friendship between the two countries that would conform to the fundamental interests of both peoples and contribute to peace, stability and development in Asia, and the world at large. Looking into the next 35 years of Sino-Japanese friendship, the CJFA is willing to continue to expand exchanges and cooperation with the JCFA, jointly striving for further enhancing mutual trust between our peoples and lasting friendship between our two countries.

At the Fukuoka Branch of JCFA, Jing Dunquan made a speech entitled “Current Situation of Sino-Japanese Relations”, briefing on current political, economic, cultural and personnel exchanges between the two countries and Chinas domestic development, especially the Seventeenth National Congress of the CPC. He said, the Sino-Japanese relations are experiencing a crucial transitional period. The friendship between the two countries, in the final analysis, is in essence the friendship between the two peoples, and we can not create a better future for bilateral relations without wide support and active participation of the two peoples and hard work by the friendly organizations of both sides. He hoped friendship organizations of the two countries would uphold their beliefs, carry forward the cause and make efforts to organize various exchange activities, continuing to work for the noble goals of “peaceful coexistence, lasting friendship, win-win cooperation, and common development”. Japanese participants expressed that their confidence in positive development of bilateral friendship was strengthened and were willing to make persistent efforts to realize lasting friendship between Japan and China.