Fujian and Nagasaki Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Friendship

　Fujian and Nagasaki Celebrate 40 Years of Friendship
Zhao Long and Kengo Oishi Deliver Speeches

On September 29, a celebration marking the 40th anniversary of the friendship between Fujian Province and Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, was held. Governor Zhao Long of Fujian and Governor Kengo Oishi of Nagasaki participated in the event via video link and delivered speeches. Chinese Ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou and Japanese Ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi also addressed the event via video. Guo Ningning, Member of the Standing Committee of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Executive Vice Governor, and Zhang Daxing, Chinese Consul General in Nagasaki, attended the event。

On behalf of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government, Zhao Long extended congratulations on the 40th anniversary of the friendship between the two regions. He noted that President Xi Jinping places great importance on the development of China-Japan relations, as evidenced by his exchange of congratulatory messages with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier in the day on the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. These messages set the direction and provide a fundamental framework for further deepening sister-city cooperation.Zhao Long emphasized the deep historical ties and frequent exchanges between Fujian and Nagasaki, particularly the role of Huangbo culture as a significant link in their enduring friendship. Since the establishment of official ties in October 1982, the two regions have achieved fruitful results through high-level mutual visits, mutual support, economic cooperation, mutual investment, cultural exchanges, and close collaboration.At present, Fujian, guided by Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, is committed to continuing the important initiatives and practices initiated during Xi Jinping’s tenure in Fujian, actively serving and deeply integrating into the new development paradigm, and advancing high-level opening-up. The cooperation between Fujian and Nagasaki holds broad prospects and significant potential for mutual promotion, complementarity, and shared benefits.Zhao expressed hope that both sides will revisit the original intention of their friendship, deepen their sister-city relationship comprehensively, and expand and consolidate cooperation in areas such as the digital economy, marine economy, green economy, and cultural tourism economy. He also emphasized improving investment and trade facilitation to foster development and benefit the people of both regions. He warmly welcomed friends from Nagasaki to visit Fujian for tourism, investment, and business opportunities, while continuing to deepen people-to-people exchanges and youth interactions to contribute to the friendship and cooperation between China and Japan。

Kengo Oishi expressed gratitude to Fujian Province for its unrelenting efforts to enhance friendly exchanges and practical cooperation with Nagasaki. He noted that participating in the celebration underscored the profound friendship between Nagasaki Prefecture and Fujian Province. Over 40 years of friendly exchanges, cooperation across various fields has grown extensively, and the friendship between Nagasaki and Fujian has become a cherished treasure for the people of Nagasaki, to be passed down for generations. He looked forward to the two regions continuing their tradition of friendship and jointly expanding new areas of exchange and cooperation。

Representatives from relevant departments, universities, and other institutions of the two regions participated in the event from venues in Fuzhou and Nagasaki. During the celebration, Fujian Polytechnic Normal University and Nagasaki International University signed an intercollegiate cooperation memorandum, while Fujian Radio and Television Group and Nagasaki International Television signed a partnership agreement。