From October 22 to 24, a government delegation from Kanegasaki Town, Japan, led by Deputy Mayor Suzuki Hiroyuki and Speaker of the Town Council Masaaki Ito, visited Changchun. This visit coincided with the 35th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Changchun and Kanegasaki. Through various exchange activities, the two sides strengthened their friendship and jointly explored new development opportunities.

 

On October 22, a cooperation exchange meeting was held, during which Liu Gang, Deputy Secretary General of the Changchun Municipal People's Government, stated that over the past 35 years, the two sides had maintained broad exchanges and cooperation across various sectors, including mutual visits of government staff, trade, culture, sports, education, and agriculture, yielding fruitful results. Currently, Changchun is working hard to build a modern industrial system based on the "transformation of three traditional robust industries, advancement of four strategic emerging industries, and deployment of seven future industries". Kanegasaki, with its strengths and features in agriculture, animal husbandry, and industry, was encouraged to collaborate with Changchun to leverage their respective advantages and further deepen cooperation in areas such as agriculture, animal husbandry, biomedicine, automobile and equipment manufacturing, and county economy. In speeches, Suzuki Hiroyuki and Masaaki Ito emphasized Kanegasaki's strong regard for its friendship with Changchun. They hoped that the 35th anniversary would serve as an opportunity to take their sister-city relationship to a new level.

 

To support the construction of Changchun Yongchun Modern Biomedical City and the development of the county economy, on the morning of October 23, the delegation visited the Yongchun Modern Biomedical City, where they learned about the development of Changchun's biomedical industry and had discussions on expanding cooperation in the biomedical sector. In the afternoon, the delegation engaged in detailed consultations with Shuangyang District and inspected the Sheai Liangshu Organic Fruit and Vegetable Farm, Haiyue Pharmaceutical, and the Ruyi Lake area development project. At the meeting, Wang Jing, Deputy District Mayor of Shuangyang, provided an overview of the district, including its five key industries: automobile lightweight, medicine and health, sika deer, fruits and vegetables, and tourism. He also shared the district's future development plans. Suzuki Hiroyuki and Masaaki Ito introduced the basic conditions of Kanegasaki, including its agriculture and animal husbandry development and industrial park construction. Both sides agreed that their industrial structures shared similarities while boasting unique advantages and characteristics, providing broad prospects for cooperation. They expressed a strong desire to continue in-depth exchanges and cooperation for mutual development.

 

Kanegasaki, located in Iwate Prefecture in the northeast of Honshu Island, Japan, enjoys a long history, rich culture, and abundant natural resources. Its agriculture and animal husbandry industries are well-developed, and it is home to the largest industrial park in Iwate Prefecture, where major companies such as Toyota's Kanto Plant and Shionogi are based. It established a sister-city relationship with Changchun in 1989.

 

 

Source: Division of Japanese Affairs    Editor: LI Ye