Inaugural Meeting of the Japan Shenzhen Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Association

On Tuesday 18 September 2018 the Japan Shenzhen Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Association held its founding and inauguration ceremony at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel Main Tower in Tokyo. In the year marking the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up and of the Japan-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the Association was formally launched as a new bridge for economic, trade and cultural exchange between Japan and Shenzhen.

Overview

• Venue: Shinagawa Prince Hotel Main Tower (ceremony on the 15th floor, reception on the 17th)
• Attendance: more than 150 guests from dozens of overseas Chinese organisations and chambers led by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Chinese and Japanese companies, Chinese students in Japan, and Japanese political and business circles

Addresses

Fan Kun, Executive Deputy Head of the Shenzhen United Front Work Department, travelled to Tokyo with a delegation and spoke on behalf of Department Head Lin Jie. Noting that Shenzhen's growth grew out of reform and opening-up and that Japan was one of the first countries to invest there, he expressed the hope that the Association would act as a bridge, encourage Chinese and Japanese companies and Japanese society to visit and work with Shenzhen, and deepen friendship between the two peoples.

Jiang Feng, elected founding president and editor-in-chief of People's Daily Overseas Edition Japan Monthly and the Japan New Overseas Chinese News, declared: "Today I can proudly say that I am a Shenzhen person." He pledged to share China's story, introduce Shenzhen's development and unite overseas Chinese and Japanese friends to contribute to Shenzhen in the new era.

Guest speakers Makoto Nishida, Komeito member of the House of Councillors, Sadahiro Sugita, Senior Managing Director of the Japan-China Economic Association, and Wang Yuanyao, Vice President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Japan, looked forward to deeper Japan–Shenzhen exchange and more business delegations to Shenzhen.

A new start

The founding directors were Jiang Feng, Zhang Shuming, Diao Xu, Weng Daokui and Chen Jianzhong. With the aim of promoting economic, trade, cultural and educational exchange between Shenzhen and Japan, the Association began work at once, sending its first business delegation to Shenzhen the following month.