From September 15 to 16, under the theme of “Reliving Our Original Aspiration for Friendship to Embrace a Better Future”, the China-Japan Friendly Exchange Conference (the Conference), commemorating the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic ties, was held online in China and Japan simultaneously. The Conference was jointly sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the China-Japan Friendship Association and the Japan-China Friendship Association. The Common Initiative was issued after the Conference.

Tang Jiaxuan, President of the China-Japan Friendship Association, Toshihiro Nikai, former Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, Lin Songtian, President of the CPAFFC, Cheng Yonghua, Executive Vice President of the China-Japan Friendship Association, Uichiro Niwa, President of the Japan-China Friendship Association, Kong Xuanyou, Chinese Ambassador to Japan, and Tarumi Hideo, Japanese Ambassador to China, delivered speeches respectively. Attendees of the Conference included over 300 representatives from 31 sub-national China-Japan friendship associations, 32 sub-national Japan-China friendship associations as well as other relevant groups and organizations.

Fan Huafeng, Deputy Director-General of the Ningxia Foreign Affairs Office (NXFAO), attended the Conference and delivered remarks under the theme of Upholding the Founding Mission of China-Japan Diplomatic Relations with Regional Friendly Exchanges at the preparatory meeting. Fan also briefed the attendees on the exchanges between Ningxia and Shimane, a pair of international friendship cities. Over the past 29 years since the establishment of their friendly relationship, Ningxia and Shimane have carried out an array of fruitful exchanges and cooperation projects in various fields including education, ecological conservation, healthcare, academic research, youth exchanges and Covid-19 response. The NXFAO, facilitating official exchanges with people-to-people ones, will put in more efforts to consolidate its traditional friendship with Shimane and deepen practical exchanges and cooperation, thus making greater contributions to the stable and sustainable development of China-Japan relations.

The China-Japan Friendly Exchange Conference was founded in 1983 and held in China and Japan every other year in turn. 16 sessions have been held up to now, making it a routine event to facilitate the communication between friendship associations and groups of the two sides and an important platform for exchanges. It has played an active role in promoting non-governmental exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan and advancing the sound and stable development of China-Japan relations.