Strong People-to-People Ties Stories About China-Japan Friendly Exchanges

By Xiong Yi/The World and Chongqing

Friendship among people holds the key to sound state-to-state relations and frequent exchanges contribute to deeper friendship.

In February 2020,at the most critical moment of COVID-19 in Chongqing,Mito and Hiroshima,Chongqing’s sister cities in Japan,donated more than 80,000 masks,and Mito sent a small gift that deeply touched the hearts of Chongqing people.Several Japanese elementary school students,with the help of their mothers,crafted some masks by hand to inspire Chongqing to overcome the coronavirus.

In May 2020,Chongqing sent more than 120 boxes of COVID-19 prevention supplies to Mito and Hiroshima,attached a Chinese saying to the effect that “If you offer me a peach,I will give you a white jade for eternal friendship”.As we have experienced COVID-19,we feel for your difficulties,and thus we stand with each other in solidarity.

国之交，在于民相亲；民之亲，缘于常来往。

2020年2月，在重庆新冠肺炎疫情最严峻的时刻，日本友城水户市、广岛市捐赠了8万余只口罩。水户市还送来一份小礼物，深深地打动了重庆人民的心——几名日本小学生在妈妈的指导下，手工精心制作口罩捐赠，激励重庆战胜疫情。

“木瓜琼琚，永以为好”。同年5月，重庆向日本水户市、广岛市发出的120余箱防疫物资箱上写着这样一句话——我们经历过疫情，对你们的困难，感同身受，所以守望相助。

Over the years,there have been numerous such friendly exchanges between Chongqing and Japan.

In 1985,Chongqing Automobile Manufacturing Plant funded Qingling Motors Co.,Ltd.,Chongqing’s first Chinese-foreign joint venture,with the Japanese company Isuzu.

Since 1986,Chongqing and Hiroshima and Mito,Jiangjin District and Miyakonojō,as well as Ba’nan District and Sanjo,have become sister cities and friendly exchange cities.

In 1998,Japan became the first country to establish a consular post in Chongqing.

For a long time,with economic connectivity and cultural affinity,Chongqing and Japan have seen their friendly relations deeper and stronger,economic and trade cooperation more fruitful,and cultural and tourism exchanges closer.

In 2022,as we celebrate the 50thanniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations,there are people in Japan missing their old friends in Chongqing.Likewise,there are people in the mountain city of Chongqing missing their old friends in the close neighborhood across the sea.

She is Mihoko,a Japanese girl who was rescued from the battlefield by Marshal Nie Rongzhen.

He is Mitsuru Hanai,a key promoter of Chongqing rail transit construction and an economic advisor to the Chongqing Municipal Government.

He is Hidemasa Mori,a dedicated baseball coach who has sowed the seeds for baseball among youth in Chongqing.

He is Deng Di,a Chongqing native who has made friends by playing table tennis and promoted this sport in Japan.

多年以来，在重庆与日本之间，这样的友好交往举不胜举。

1985年，重庆汽车制造厂出资与日本五十铃合资成立重庆市第一家中外合资企业庆铃汽车有限公司。

1986年至今，重庆市与日本广岛市、水户市，江津区与都城市，巴南区与三条市先后缔结国际友好城市、友好交流城市。

1998年，日本在重庆设立领事机构，是最早在渝设立领事机构的国家。

长期以来，重庆与日本经济相融，人文相亲，友好关系持续发展，经贸合作成果丰硕，文旅交流日益密切。

2022年，我们迎来中日邦交正常化50周年。在一衣带水的邻邦日本，有人牵挂着中国重庆的老朋友。同样，在山城重庆也有人思念着隔海邻国的故交。

她是当年被聂荣臻元帅从战场上救下来的日本女孩美穗子；

他是重庆轨道交通建设的重要推动者、市政府经济顾问华井满；

他是为重庆青少年棒球运动播撒种子、辛勤耕耘的教练森英昌；

他是在日本以球会友、推广乒乓球运动的重庆人邓荻；

……