Kazuo Inamori Conferred Upon Title of Sino-Japanese Friendship Envoy

At the invitation of the China-Japan Friendship Association (CJFA), Kazuo Inamori, honorary president of the Kyocera Corporation of Japan, and his party paid a visit to Beijing from April 4 to 7, 2004.

Zeng Qinghong and Tang Jiaxuan

Meeting with Inamori

On the afternoon of April 6, Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong met with Kazuo Inamori and his party in the Great Hall of the People. CPAFFC President Chen Haosu, Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi, CJFA Vice President Chen Yongchang and Japanese Ambassador to China Koreshige Anami were present at the meeting.

Vice President Zeng spoke highly of the precious contribution to the development of friendship and economic exchanges between China and Japan made by Kazuo Inamori and the Kyocera Corporation for years, and expressed his congratulations to Kazuo Inamori on being conferred upon the title of Sino-Japanese Friendship Envoy by the CJFA.

Zeng said, the mainstream in the Sino-Japanese relations is good. Particularly remarkable achievements have been made in the people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation between the two countries. But, at the same time, we should soberly see that there still exist some difficulties and problems in bilateral relations. For this, we have always held that China and Japan should strictly abide by the principles set in the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement and other two political documents, and solve these problems in the spirit of “drawing lessons from history and looking to the future”. Only in this way can Sino-Japanese relations continue to develop on the right track. The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the development of Sino-Japanese relations. We hope to work together with the Japanese government and people to establish Sino-Japanese friendly and cooperative partnership dedicated to peace and development.

Zeng said, in the past more than 20 years since the reform and opening up, China has made achievements in economic and social development. However, China is still a developing country. We have, as always, implemented an independent foreign policy of peace, the policy of building a good-neighborly relationship and partnership with our neighbours, and persistently taken the road of peaceful development. Even if China becomes strong in the future, it will never seek hegemony. The Japanese friends may well rest assured about it.

On the afternoon of April 6, State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan met with and entertained Kazuo Inamori and his party at the Diaoyutai State Guest House. Tang spoke highly of the outstanding contributions made by Inamori and Kyocera Corporation for years to the promotion of Sino-Japanese economic cooperation and their enthusiastic support for the development of education in China’s western areas, and expressed his warm congratulation to Kazuo Inamori on being conferred upon the title of Sino-Japanese Friendship Envoy by the CJFA. Tang said, Sino-Japanese relations, on the whole, is good. Especially, people-to-people exchanges are in the ascendant. Bilateral trade is maintaining a momentum of vigorous growth. Exchanges between the localities of the two countries are continuously expanding and the number of friendship cities has reached 224. Personnel exchanges are increasing year by year. Tang hoped that Kazuo Inamori and friends of Japanese economic circles would continue to play an active role in developing friendship between the two peoples from generation to generation.

Awarded Title of Sino-Japanese Friendship Envoy

On April 5, CJFA President Song Jian met with and entertained Kazuo Inamori and his party in the Great Hall of the People. In his speech, Song Jian spoke highly of the precious contribution made by Inamori and the Kyocera Corporation over the years to the development of Sino-Japanese friendship, promotion of scientific, technological and economic exchanges between the two countries and their support for China’s social development. The CJFA has decided to confer the title of Sino-Japanese Friendship Envoy upon Kazuo Inamori. Song Jian continued, China and Japan are close neigbours separated by only a strip of water. To establish good-neigbourly cooperative relations accords with the fundamental interests of the two peoples. In the course of developing bilateral relations, nongovernmental forces have played a unique and important role. The CJFA is ready to work together with people of various circles in Japan to carry forward the good tradition and uphold the banner of Sino-Japanese friendship and strive to build a long-term, stable and healthy Sino-Japanese relationship.

Kazuo Inamori said that he felt greatly honoured to be awarded the title of Sino-Japanese Friendship Envoy and he would take this opportunity to continue to make new efforts to develop Japan-China friendship.

Speaking at Party School of CPC Central Committee

On the morning of April 6, invited by the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Kazuo Inamori gave a speech entitled “To China’s Leading Cadres in the New Era” to about 300 cadres at the training class of the Party School. Citing the example of the development of the Kyocera Corporation founded by him which has grown from a small and weak company to a big and strong one, he talked about business operation and governance of a country. He said, only by acquiring correct values and morality, dismissing selfish interests, desires and motives, taking the lead in setting an example and earnestly practicing what one advocates, can he accomplish a great cause. He continued, the history of the development of capitalism and the lessons of Japan’s economic and social development in the postwar period tell that selfish motives and desires of only seeking for material wealth and enterprises’ own interests are the chief culprits that cause moral decay, ideological degeneration, environmental pollution and economic depression. He hoped that China would properly handle similar problems brought about by the fast economic development, learn from experience and lessons from the predecessors and other countries, and become an example respected by all countries in the world. After the speech Inamori answered students’ questions about qualified personnel training, business management, restructure of state-owned enterprises and China’s current economic situation.