On April 22, Liao Xiaoyong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee and Head of the Publicity Department, led a delegation to visit the Japan-China Friendship Association. He held discussions with Yokomi Yukinori, Director and Secretary-General of the Association, and Nagata Tetsuji, Vice President of the Tokyo Japan-China Friendship Association.
Liao said, “In this late spring season, we bring with us the breeze and greetings from both sides of the Fu River as we cross the mountains and seas to visit our neighbor, Japan. This thousand-year connection is rooted in the mutual learning of Zen culture and the deep understanding embedded in poetry and literature. Our gathering today is not only to inherit historical ties but to write a new chapter for the future.”
He added, “Fuzhou is willing to work hand in hand with Japanese friends—using culture as a vessel, cooperation as the oar, and people’s hearts as the sail—to jointly navigate a course of integration in culture and tourism, cooperation in education, prosperity in trade, and mutual growth in sister city relations.”
Liao emphasized that China and Japan are important economic partners with great potential for local cooperation. As a pivotal city connecting the Yangtze River Delta and the Western Taiwan Strait Economic Zone, Fuzhou sincerely hopes to share development opportunities with Japanese sister cities. He encouraged companies from both sides to collaborate amid industrial transformation—sowing the seeds of low-carbon development in the new energy sector, nurturing the buds of health in the biopharmaceutical field, and cultivating the fruits of a smart future in the digital economy.
“With more transparent policies, efficient services, and thoughtful support,” he said, “we hope to make Japanese entrepreneurs feel Fuzhou’s sincerity for mutual benefit and look forward to growing stronger cooperation through regular exchanges, shared opportunities, and joint platforms.”
Yokomi Yukinori warmly welcomed Fuzhou’s cultural exchange activities in Japan around the 2025 Osaka Expo. “Jiangxi Province and Okayama Prefecture have had friendly ties for many years. As an Okayama native, I’ve long supported this connection and am deeply impressed by Jiangxi. I look forward to deepening cooperation and building new channels for exchange with Fuzhou,” he said.
Nagata Tetsuji mentioned he had visited Jingdezhen and Nanchang, and was especially impressed by Nanchang’s revolutionary heritage. He expressed his desire to explore the natural beauty of Fuzhou and said he would continue to promote China-Japan exchanges.
