Yoshiko Kijima, Minister of the Embassy of Japan in China and director of the embassy's Press and Culture Center, visited the China International Youth Exchange Center (CIYEC) on July 31, 2020. Wang Yijun, Party Secretary of the CIYEC, and Hong Guimei, Deputy Director of the CIYEC, met with the newly-appointed minister, and the two sides held a discussion on future exchanges and cooperation.

Wang first extended a warm welcome to Yoshiko, and noted that the exchanges and cooperation with Japan are the center's most in-depth and extensive of their kind, both in terms of scope and objectives. He also gave thanks for the support and assistance from the officials of the Japanese Embassy in China.

The "Salon for Youth Envoys of China-Japan Friendship", held at the Century Theater last year, was a big success. Ai Fukuhara, a renowned Japanese table tennis player and Olympic medalist, plus more than 200 Chinese and Japanese college students, were invited to participate in the activity, which also attracted the attention of more than 100 million young people and became a popular exchange program in 2019.

Wang said that the center will continue to provide facilities like hotels, theaters and training classrooms for exchange activities with Japan, with the hope that the embassy and the center can jointly launch more projects of exchange and cooperation.

Speaking of the impact of COVID-19 on communication activities, Wang said that there are obvious disadvantages and limitations to online exchanges conducted via video-link, compared with face-to-face visits. But he said he hoped that the pandemic situation will improve as soon as possible so that normal visits can resume.

Party Secretary Wang Yijun talks with Minister Yoshiko Kijima during her visit on July 31.

Yoshiko worked in the Japanese Embassy in Beijing from 1994 to 1996, and has now returned 24 years later. She said that great changes have taken place - what used to be a rural suburb has become a bustling business area.

In terms of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yoshiko spoke highly of China’s epidemic prevention and control measures, which she said she had experienced since she arrived.

Both sides agreed to further strengthen communication and cooperation and jointly promote the progress of friendly exchanges between the youth of China and Japan.