Soka Gakkai President Harada Meets Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Reaffirms Commitment to Strengthening Sino-Japanese Ties

TOKYO, May 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 10, Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada was invited to meet with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his visit to Japan. Mr. Harada pledged to continue efforts initiated by Soka Gakkai Honorary President Daisaku Ikeda to strengthen China-Japan friendship and cultural exchange. He also informed the Chinese Premier of his plan to visit China in October with a large delegation of Soka Gakkai representatives from throughout Japan.

Premier Li responded that the delegation will be wholeheartedly welcomed. He also expressed his appreciation for a Chinese poem he received on May 9 as a token of friendship from Honorary President Ikeda.

In 1985, Li visited Japan as deputy leader of an All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) delegation that met with Ikeda in Tokyo. On that occasion, the ACYF and the Soka Gakkai Youth Division signed an exchange protocol, leading to 32 subsequent exchange visits between the two groups.

As this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship, and the 50th anniversary of a proposal calling for the normalization of relations between China and Japan made by Ikeda on September 8, 1968, Soka Gakkai plans several commemorative initiatives.

A Soka Gakkai Women's Delegation will visit Beijing, Dalian and Xi'an in June, and, in October, a large-scale Soka Gakkai delegation to China will be hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC).

In July, Soka Gakkai will welcome a delegation from China, with 22 ACYF representatives scheduled to visit Tokyo, Miyagi, Fukushima and Hokkaido.

On September 8, to mark the 50th anniversary of Ikeda's proposal for the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations, the "Japan-China Forum for the New Era" will be held in Tokyo. Researchers from China and Japan will attend, and speakers will include Chinese Ambassador to Japan H.E. Cheng Yonghua and former Japanese Ambassador to China Yuji Miyamoto.

Background:

In order to promote peace and friendship between China and Japan, Daisaku Ikeda visited China ten times between 1974 and 1997, meeting with Vice Premier Li Xiannian in June 1974, and Premier Zhou Enlai and Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping in December 1974. He also met in Tokyo with President Jiang Zemin in November 1998, Premier Wen Jiabao in April 2007 and President Hu Jintao in May 2008. He initiated numerous programs of cultural and educational exchange that have continued regardless of shifts in the political climate between the two countries. His 1968 Proposal for the Normalization of Sino-Japanese Relations can be read here: http://www.daisakuikeda.org/main/peacebuild/peace-proposals/proposal-for-the-normalization-of-sino-japanese.html  

Daisaku Ikeda was President of the Soka Gakkai from 1960-79. He is now Honorary President of the Soka Gakkai and President of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI).

Contact:

Joan Anderson
International Office of Public Information 
Soka Gakkai 
Tel: +81-80-5957-4711 
Fax: +81-3-5360-9885 
E-mail: anderson[at]soka.jp 

SOURCE Soka Gakkai