More than 100 Japanese young people visited Nankai University in
north China's Tianjin Municipality, and talked with Chinese
students, vowing to strengthen exchanges between young Japanese and
young Chinese and promote bilateral friendship.
Kazuhiko Takeuchi, head of the youth delegation of the Soka
Gakkai of Japan, said he hopes Japanese young people can further
strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Chinese young people and
promote mutual understanding and friendship, in order to push
forward China-Japan friendship.
The Soka Gakkai, established in 1930, has carried out friendly
exchanges with China since the 1960s. Its Honorary President
Daisaku Ikeda has visited China many times and always been active
in promoting friendly relations between the two countries. Many
Chinese leaders including the late Premier Zhou Enlai held meetings
with him.
Takeuchi said they will carry forward Ikeda's torch, make the
development of China-Japan relations a mission, and try various
channels in order to enhance mutual understanding and friendship
between young people of the two countries.
Invited by the All-China Youth Federation, the delegation is
paying a friendly visit to China. Besides Tianjin, they also
visited Beijing and Shanghai. During the visit, the young Japanese
delegation members toured Peking University and East China Normal
University, and held talks and exchange activities with students
and teachers there.
The delegation also visited the Lugou Bridge and the memorial
commemorating the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
Near the bridge in the southwest of Beijing, the Japanese
imperialist army in 1937 launched the "July 7 Incident" marking the
beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression
(1937-45).
"I feel regret for the crimes of the imperialist army during the
war. I hope history will never be repeated and that the friendship
between China and Japan can last for generations," said Nobuko
Tanaka when talking with the students of Nankai University.
The delegates presented delicately made cards to the students
praising China-Japan friendship. They had made the cards before
coming.
During their stay in Tianjin, the delegation visited the
memorial commemorating Zhou Enlai and his wife Deng Yingchao,
pioneers of China's revolution and among the founders of the
People's Republic of China.
Chieko Fujiwara said she hopes more and more Japanese can learn
about China, since she herself felt the glamour of Chinese culture
during the visit.
The Soka Gakkai established friendly exchanges with the
All-China Youth Federation in 1985. The two sides have carried out
regular visits and some exchange programs including one for
improving language learning by young people in the two
countries.
(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2006)
