On May 14, 2012, Chairman of China-Japan Friendship Association Tang Jiaxuan met with the visiting delegation of Japan Business Federation in Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and granted the title of China-Japan Friendship Ambassador to Hiromasa Yonekura, Chairman of Japan Business Federation and president of the steering committee on the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan.
Tang spoke highly of the active efforts and valuable contributions of Yonekura and Japan Business Federation over the years to promote the bilateral economic and trade cooperation and maintain the healthy and stable development of China-Japan relations. He noted that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations and is designated as the year of friendly exchanges between the Chinese and Japanese people by both countries. The amity between people holds the key to sound relations between states. Under the current situation, the two countries should further deepen the mutually beneficial pragmatic cooperation taking the opportunity of commemorating the 40th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral ties and holding activities of the year of friendly exchanges between the Chinese and Japanese people, vigorously strengthen cultural exchanges, constantly improve feelings between the two peoples, extend the people-to-people exchanges to the grassroots level and further expand and consolidate the foundation of China-Japan friendship.
Yonekura thanked China-Japan Friendship Association for granting him the title and expressed his will to work harder to promote the friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan in all fields.
Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and China-Japan Friendship Association Jing Dunquan, Honorary Chairman of Japan Business Federation Fujio Mitarai, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua and Japanese Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa were present at the meeting.