Chinese, Japanese media, think tanks hold dialogue on boosting cultural exchanges

TOKYO, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- A dialogue on promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges between media organizations and think tanks of China and Japan was held here on Tuesday.

The event, co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency and the Chinese embassy in Japan, brought together about 160 participants, including representatives of media organizations, think tanks and friendly groups from the two countries.

In his keynote speech at the event, President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua said that China and Japan are close neighbors separated by a narrow strip of water, share similar cultures and have profound historical and cultural roots, noting that there is great potential for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries in the "new era."

The media organizations and think tanks of the two countries should build on past achievements and work together to promote the concept of peaceful coexistence, broaden the bridge of friendship, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, seek common development and push for new progress and outcomes in people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Fu added.

Looking to the future, Fu said, Xinhua is willing to work with partners from Chinese and Japanese media outlets and think tanks to tell moving stories of enhancing mutual trust and cooperation between China and Japan, and continue to record the history of mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

Noting China-Japan relations are currently at a critical period of improvement and development, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao said in his speech that the two countries are experiencing more positive interactions in various fields and levels, while there are also serious disagreements and differences that need to be properly managed.

In December last year, China and Japan successfully held the second meeting of a high-level consultation mechanism on people-to-people and cultural exchanges in Beijing, reaching a broad consensus on strengthening cooperation in media, think tanks, youth and other fields and designing projects for people-to-people and culture exchanges, Wu said.

This dialogue is an important measure to implement the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders and promote bilateral people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Wu said, believing that it will give new impetus to China-Japan friendly exchanges and cooperation.

Japanese guests including Takeshi Noda, president of the Japan-China Society, Shoichi Kondo, secretary general of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Union, and Takashi Sasaki, president of Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), said in their speeches that under the current international situation, Japan and China should further strengthen dialogue and cultural exchanges and their media and think tanks play a vital role in promoting mutual understanding and exchanges.

It is hoped that the dialogue will serve as an opportunity to deepen and expand cooperation between media outlets and think tanks of Japan and China, and promote the improvement and development of bilateral relations, they added.

At Tuesday's event, Xinhua issued a think tank report titled "Promoting the Development and Progress of Human Civilization through Exchange and Mutual Learning." ■