On July 31, People’s Daily published a report which started with the stories of Ningxia and Shimane fighting COVID-19 together.

Shimane is the name of a foreign place most frequently heard by the people in Ningxia. Since 27 years ago when the two were tied as international friendship cities, cooperation programs have been launched in Diannong River treatment, social science research, medical staff training, youth exchanges, and visits of scholars and non-governmental delegations, with many people, whether they are engineers, doctors, businessmen or government officials, becoming witnesses, participants and beneficiaries of the friendly relations. This is not only a treasure cherished by the two peoples, but also the source with which the friendship will continue to develop.

In particular, with the sudden strike of COVID-19 in 2020, Ningxia and Shimane have worked hand in hand to fight the virus. Donation of masks, letters and videos of support bring the hearts of the two peoples closer, which constitutes the report in the beginning.

Ningxia Foreign Affairs Offices listed Shimane as one of the top priorities on this year’s agenda to further consolidate Ningxia-Shimane relations with efforts focusing on people-to-people exchanges, thus promoting the development of China-Japan relations.

 
Recently, Ningxia Foreign Affairs Office has been collecting stories, photos and videos from participants in the cooperation programs with Shimane, with a view to recording the deepening friendship over the past 27 years and injecting new dynamism into it for future cooperation.