Amid the dramatically changing international situation, including rising friction between the United States and China, a symposium to discuss Japan-China cooperation was held in Beijing on May 12.

Slightly over 100 Japanese and Chinese specialists attended, including Japan International Cooperation Agency JICA President Shinichi Kitaoka. In his keynote address, former China State Councilor Dai Bingguo expressed his expectation that China and Japan will join hands as fellow Asian countries and contribute to the international community. The two countries “need a lasting friendship that will continue through the 22nd and 23rd centuries,” he said.

Former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said that “Japan engaged in reform while clashing with the United States, who named it ‘Japan, Inc.’” Fukuda added that he “hoped China would learn from Japan’s experience and apply it in its negotiations with the United States.”