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On August 25, DPJ International Department Director-General Chinami Nishimura met with a Chinese youth delegation consisting of around 80 young leaders, in Japan as part of the JENESYS programme (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) and held discussions.
At the start of the meeting, Nishimura welcomed the delegation, saying, “Both our countries have a mutually strategic relationship, and have been engaging in numerous exchanges, between citizens as well as at government level. In our globalised society, it is extremely important that Japan and China can coexist together within the rules of the international community. I would like our countries to continue to deepen our mutual understanding.”
The leader of the Chinese delegation expressed her appreciation for the fact that this programme had enabled them to visit Japan. She commented, “The exchanges between China and Japan, as friendly neighbours, play an important role, not just for the prosperity of our two nations, but also for that of East Asia and the world. This year sees the end of the large scale youth exchanges that have taken places between China and Japan, and next year a new programme will start. Youth exchanges are one aspect of our strategic relationship and it is extremely important to continue these exchanges.”
The Chinese side asked questions and made comments about the DPJ’s youth exchanges and the work of the party’s Youth Department, as well as the political situation in Japan and the manner in which bilateral exchanges could take place. The DPJ side pointed out that the perception of history issues between Japan and China varies depending on the individual stance and the particular time, and stressed the importance of fully investigating the facts of the matter.
Both sides agreed on the importance of engaging in vigorous exchanges between young Diet members and youth leaders who are the future of both nations, in order to further deepen friendly relations between Japan and China. The meeting was also attended by Kenta Izumi, Hirotami Murakoshi, Nobuyuki Fukushima and Tsutomu Takamura for the DPJ.
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