On April 13, Japanese Foreign Minister Tarō Kōno paid a visit to BFSU and met with the teachers and students of Beijing Center for Japanese Studies. BFSU Council Chairman Wang Dinghua and Vice President Jia Dezhong met with the Japanese guests.

Chairman Wang extended his welcome to the Japanese Foreign Minister and told the Japanese guests that he was sure that high-level visits between China and Japan would push forward our bilateral relations at this new stage of exchange and cooperation with the G20 summit scheduled this coming June in Japan. Wang also believed that the Minister’s visit to BFSU was an important gesture to promote Chinese-Japanese exchange and Japanese studies at BFSU. In recent years, as BFSU makes efforts to emphasize education for versatile talents and strengthen its international exposure, it has built partnerships with a number of prestigious Japanese universities. The Beijing Center for Japanese Studies (the Center) is co-founded by the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Japan Foundation as the only overseas institution established by the Japanese government to offer postgraduate programs in Japanese studies. In the past 30 years and more, 1421 people have completed their master’s and doctoral studies or scholarship studies in the field of Japanese studies and Japanese language teaching at the Center. The Center has become an example of success in people-to-people exchange between China and Japan. BFSU is ready to work for closer cooperation with Japanese universities and academia.

Minister Tarō Kōno thanked BFSU for the hospitality and said he was impressed by the wellbeing of the Chinese people and the positive developments in China right before the 70th anniversary of the founding of PRC as compared to what he saw 40 years ago during his first visit to China. He shared with the students his own overseas study experience and believed that exchange among young people would help build closer relations and promote mutual understanding between our two countries. He also expressed his hope for a greater role of the Center in producing professionals working for stronger bilateral relations in the future.

Minster Tarō Kōno then had a discussion with 10 master’s and doctoral candidates at the Center. The students talked about their research topics and career plans. The Minister wished them good luck and emphasized the importance of face-to-face exchange in enhancing mutual understanding.

Minister Tarō Kōno also visited the library and multimedia classrooms at the Center as well as a special picture exhibition to mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship.