◆ Jiang Feng, editor-in-chief of the Japanese monthly magazine of People's Daily Overseas Edition
At the beginning of July 2024, the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade, a member of Japan's "Seven Friendship Groups" with China, began its 47th visit to China. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the association, this "fixed" economic and trade exchange activity between China and Japan presents a stronger sense of the times and layers, and also creates new opportunities for all walks of life to deepen their thinking about Sino-Japanese relations.
It is worth noting that in 2012, the "Ryukyu Economic Strategy Research Association", which was established under the leadership of Chinese businessmen, with the status of "Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade Okinawa Branch", has facilitated the visit of the governor and vice governor of Okinawa to China many times. Since its establishment, this "research society" has never been absent from the visit to China of the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade, allowing the outside world to see the "brilliance" of Okinawa in deepening economic and trade cooperation with China, and to appreciate the posture of Chinese businessmen and enterprises running and "always on the road" to promote friendly exchanges between the two sides. Under the trend of the times, what the Chinese businessmen who have devoted themselves to it are a "mirror" for local cities in China and Japan to strengthen dialogue, seek cooperation and build friendship. This time, the reporter conducted an exclusive interview with the main representatives of Chinese businessmen who visited China with the delegation, as well as other Chinese businessmen of Fujian origin who were deeply involved.
Perspective 1: There is a "double rush" of inheritance and re-development
Rooted in Okinawa, the Ryukyu Institute for Economic Strategy attaches great importance to local economic and trade cooperation with China, and is not only a "new force" in the "big picture" of the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade's visits to China for nearly half a century, but also has rich experience and broad vision in helping Okinawa cooperate with China. In their view, between China and Japan, between Okinawa and Fujian, should be a "two-way rush."
Fang Tokuhui, chairman of the Ryukyu Economic Strategy Research Association and representative director of DIRECT CHINA Co., Ltd., is the founder of the association, and he led 9 members from 6 companies of the research group to visit the company. He once proposed to the Japanese side to "rebuild the era of the Great Ryukyu Trade." In his own words, behind the proposal is the increasingly important exchange and practical cooperation with China, which requires both sides to work in the same direction, both emphasizing inheritance and carrying forward the proposal. Friends of the older generation of the Japanese side, including Mr. Yohei Kono, have persisted for decades, and new representatives such as Hashimoto Take, a member of the House of Representatives and the son of former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, are "taking over the baton", reflecting the efforts made by the Japanese side in inheriting and carrying forward the baton. In this regard, China has created an environment for communication in all directions and responded positively, fully demonstrating a gesture of trust and sincerity.
Lin Xiaoming, representative director and president of Dadi Group, talked about his experience of the visit, and regarded being able to communicate face-to-face with the elites of the economic and trade circles of China and Japan as a "lucky" for development and improvement, and he especially said that the biggest gain was that "I really felt the eagerness of the two sides to strengthen personnel exchanges and economic and trade exchanges after the epidemic." Undoubtedly, this is a cognitively valuable "walking in the same direction", which will definitely be able to generate greater motivation.
In his eyes, from the Sino-Japanese people-to-people dialogue before the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan to the visit of the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JITT) to China, where new and old friends interacted, the importance of both sides has never changed, and what continues is a dual inheritance of spirit and action. What is particularly impressive is that China is facing problems head-on, being open and honest, and "zero-distance" dialogue can bring each other closer.
Chen Hai, the representative director of ZERO Corporation, as the only representative of Chinese businessmen in the Kansai region of Japan, used the word "inevitable" to explain the understanding of inheritance and development. He said that the visit allowed him to gain an in-depth understanding of the past, present and future of economic and trade exchanges between the two countries, and that China and China will further coexist, share, integrate and win-win results, which is an important factor for each other's economic growth. Communication is a necessity and a historical necessity. In particular, he said that the economy and culture complement each other, and it is necessary to "have both hands firm".
Lin Xiuyan, chairman of Japan Feiyue Travel Agency and vice chairman of Mumu Real Estate, is one of the main members of the Japan Fujian Economic and Cultural Promotion Association, and has her own views on the economic and trade exchanges between China and Japan, as well as the long-term cooperation between Okinawa and her hometown Fujian. This time, she was interviewed by the Japanese monthly magazine of "People's Daily Overseas Edition" on the same day she returned to Tokyo on July 4, and she said that the second and third generations of overseas Chinese are slowly stepping out of the Chinese circle and constantly deeply integrating into the local society. Being a participant, not a bystander, is the key to understanding the common goal of the two sides in the new era, and it is also the right way to empower the friendship between the two sides.
Perspective 2: "Co-development" to seize opportunities and expand space
Both China and Japan are in an important period of profound change and transformation. Okinawa and regional cities in China are facing new opportunities in both traditional and emerging fields. At the same time, after the epidemic and other "big tests", and continue to face external shocks and complex changes, the deepening of economic and trade cooperation is imperative and the arduous task should also be recognized. Under the new situation, economic relations require new vision and new wisdom, and Chinese businessmen in the middle of it also have a new understanding.
Fang Dehui made suggestions based on his own "local plan". The first is to promote the "Youth Project", give full play to the solid foundation of exchanges between Okinawa and Fujian, and provide visa-free facilitation for high school students from both sides to study abroad, promote interaction between students, enhance mutual understanding, and continuously improve national feelings. The second is to take advantage of the geographical relationship between Okinawa and Fujian to explore the cooperation space in the field of import and export of aquatic products, improve mutual benefit, and better help the bilateral trade of aquatic products.
Lin Xiaoming took "mutual" as the key word, and he said that we should fully see the rapid changes in China since the reform and opening up, and the economic and trade exchanges between China and Japan should also do a good job in the transformation of the times, from "middle school days" to "mutual learning and mutual learning". In particular, we will further open up personnel interaction and mutual visits to achieve more reciprocity.
Liu Guoli believes that China's economic growth momentum is prominent in the global context, and China and Japan should tap the new potential of the market. The two sides are facing common issues such as aging, and they can seize the opportunity to jointly "speed up" economic upgrading.
For Chen Hai, who regards talent dispatch and education and training as one of the company's important businesses, "people" is undoubtedly the top priority. He proposed that China-Japan economic and trade cooperation should have a "human perspective" and vigorously promote talent education, cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. Chen Hai also said emotionally that, just like his original intention when he led the establishment of the Zero International Business Innovation Conference in November 2023, it is necessary to widely unite Chinese businessmen, pay attention to the exchanges between the young generation of overseas Chinese and their ancestral (home) countries, especially give full play to the "function" of young entrepreneurs to connect the past and the next, and suggest that activities such as returning to China for seminars, inspections, and visits should be held on a regular basis, so that economic and trade cooperation can continue to grow in the hands of the new generation.
Lin Xiuyan said that China and Japan are separated by a strip of water, and exchanges have a long history, just like the friendly exchanges between Okinawa and Fujian. The two sides must uphold the sense of "commonality" and continue to "strengthen the bond and strengthen the chain" under the guidance of the spirit of the "San Francisco Meeting" between the leaders of China and Japan, and build a transparent, stable and inseparable "chain relationship".
Perspective 3: Dare to work hard and talk about the "power of China"
Huaqi Huacai, Huashang Huawei. Every Chinese businessman who works hard is a history of struggle of his own, and it is also a wonderful chapter for Chinese to connect with the world. From Okinawa to Japan, from Sino-Japanese cooperation to international development, the Chinese businessmen in Okinawa, who play an important role in the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade, are not confined to a corner, but look at the world, condense wisdom and sweat, and convey the unique Chinese power to the stories of Chinese businessmen and Chinese enterprises in the new era.
Fang Dehui said that China's international influence has increased, creating more development opportunities for overseas Chinese in Japan. The upgrading of China's industrial and economic quality has brought about Japan's impressive view of "Made in China". Chinese businessmen in Okinawa are a unique force in economic and trade cooperation between the two sides, bringing more convenience and benefits to the local import of Chinese products and unimpeded trade channels. Strengthening participation in the "local supply chain" is an important way for Chinese businessmen to open up business opportunities in the new era, and will also drive enterprises from both sides, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to carry out in-depth cooperation in management, technology, market and other aspects.
Combined with his own feelings, Lin Xiaoming believes that while facing up to the challenges faced by China and Japan, two "cannot be stopped", one is that economic and trade cooperation cannot be stopped, and the other is that people-to-people exchanges, especially personnel exchanges, cannot be stopped, and can further promote the interaction between the people of both sides and enhance economic and trade activities by giving priority to promoting visa facilitation for specific groups such as economy and trade, people-to-people and so on. In this regard, Chinese businessmen should play their due role.
What Liu Guoli is proud of is the sentence that an elderly president of Kanagawa hangs on his lips every time he sees him: "You Chinese are diligent and can do everything well." He said that China's development has made every overseas Chinese "stand up". As an enterprise that has carried out extensive business cooperation with Southeast Asia and other countries, it is deeply impressed that more than ten years ago, it was "quality problems" that were linked to "Chinese products", and now "Chinese products" are synonymous with innovation and wisdom, and they have gained more respect and envy. He firmly believes that "striking iron also needs its own hardness", and strong national strength and self-improvement of Chinese businessmen are the key to winning the trust of the outside world and winning the respect of the industry. For the more than 100 Chinese employees in the company, Liu Guoli most often said that "representing China's image and not embarrassing the Chinese people".
Chen Hai said that in connection with the holding of the 2025 Osaka World Expo, Chinese businessmen in Kansai will also usher in more business opportunities and better embrace the world. Taking this as a window, Kansai Chinese businessmen should uphold self-confidence, be proud, establish an image, and further shoulder the mission and responsibility of promoting economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges between China and Japan, so that the outside world can see the style of Chinese businessmen in the new era, and let Chinese enterprises and Chinese culture "go to sea", "sail" and "travel far".
When talking about what Chinese businessmen can do, Lin Xiuyan stressed the need to give full play to the advantages of being overseas, bring back Japan's experience and lessons in pension, real estate, talent education, etc., and promote exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in new fields. Combined with the company's business, she introduced the main situation of Japan's construction of a "special zone for financial asset management", and suggested paying attention to and tracking the trend of Japan's real estate market, and discovering and exploring the potential of cooperation between the two sides.