29-04-2025
Japan Friendship Delegation Set to Meet 3rd Ranking Official of China's Communist Party; Representatives Seek Progression on Outstanding Issues
Pool photo / The Yomiuri Shimbun
Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as chairman of the Japan-China Parliamentary Friendship Association, left, meets with Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, in Beijing on Monday.
BEIJING — A delegation from the Japan-China Parliamentary Friendship Association, a nonpartisan group of Japanese lawmakers, is expected to meet with Zhao Leji, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the third-ranking official of the Chinese Communist Party, in Beijing on Tuesday.
The delegation hopes to advance Japan-China relations and help resolve pending issues such as the resumption of imports of Japanese marine products.
Fourteen lawmakers are participating in the visit to China, which began on Sunday. Members include Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as chairman of the association; Banri Kaieda, a Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker, who was a former vice speaker of the House of Representatives; Motohisa Furukawa, acting representative of the Democratic Party for the People; and Kazuo Shii, chairperson of the Central Committee of the Japanese Communist Party.
On Monday, the delegation met with Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, an international exchange organization. At the meeting, Moriyama stressed that 'personal exchange and mutual understanding are indispensable for putting Japan-China relations on a positive track.' In response, Yang said that 'the visit to China will be of great significance in improving mutual political trust.'
Moriyama also asked Yang for cooperation in lending new pandas to Tokyo's Ueno Zoo and the Adventure World theme park in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, as the deadline to return the current pandas approaches.
Natsuo Yamaguchi, former chief representative of Komeito, and others also arrived China on Monday, following the visit of Komeito Chief Representative Tetsuo Saito, who stayed from April 22 to 24. Yamaguchi and others will engage in educational and cultural exchanges between Japan and China until Wednesday.
