Youth exchanges hold promise of better ties in future

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Seoul, Nov 1, 2015. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Winding up his third trip to China on October 31, Toshihiro Nikai, chairman of the General Council of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was accompanied by 100 Chinese high school students paying a week-long visit to Japan. They were the first batch of 500 Chinese students invited to visit Japan.

During his visit to Japan in May 2011, then Chinese premier Wen Jiabao toured the northeastern region, which had been devastated by the powerful earthquake and tsunami two months previously. He invited 500 children from the disaster zone to South China's Hainan Island, which is known as the country's Hawaii.

Nikai, who headed the Japanese children's group in 2011, said they were warmly received in China and the downhearted young souls were rejuvenated.

The LDP high-ranking official said Japan is now repaying China for its hospitality by hosting 500 Chinese high school students. The first 100 stayed with Japanese host families during their trip and spent time with their Japanese peers.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addressed the 100 young Chinese visitors on Friday, the first time a Japanese prime minister has met foreign high school students. "I hope that the seeds of friendship between you and Japanese students will grow," he said.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with more than 200 business heavyweights from Japan's three influential groups, namely the Japan Business Federation, the Japan-China Association on Economy and Trade and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in Beijing on Wednesday, the first time a Chinese premier has talked with Japanese business people for six years. Li lauded Japanese businesses' "long-term important contribution" to exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

The two countries have enjoyed major trade and investment ties even during the persistent, damaging political rift, but expressions such as "bilateral economic ties are no longer warm amid cold political relations" have characterized ties for quite some time now.