CICG president meets former Japanese PM

Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Communications Group (CICG), met Thursday with former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Toshiro Muto, director general of the Japanese committee of the 19th Beijing-Tokyo Forum, who were both in Beijing to attend the forum. The two sides exchanged views on topics including China-Japan relations.

Du Zhanyuan (2nd L), president of China International Communications Group (CICG), meets with former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (2nd R) in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2023. [Photo/CICG]

Du acknowledged Fukuda's pivotal role as the highest advisor to the Japanese committee of the Beijing-Tokyo Forum, highlighting his profound connection to the event.

Du said Fukuda's keynote speech at the opening ceremony was profound and touching as it delved into China-Japan relations and common challenges faced by both countries, and offered an optimistic outlook for the future. 

Fukuda spoke highly of the Belt and Road Initiative and the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The former Japanese prime minister emphasized the forum's role as an essential platform for dialogue and consensus-building between China and Japan. He also expressed his hope for the forum to continue thriving and to make even greater contributions to advancing China-Japan relations. 

CICG Vice President Gao Anming and representatives from CICG's Department of International Cooperation and CICG Asia-Pacific were also present at the meeting.