Timeline
Updated : 2019-02-14Source : CCFAO
Timeline
Sendai City is the first international sister city of Changchun. The relationship setup with Sendai opened the prelude to the international exchanges of Changchun. For more than 30 years, the two cities’ municipal governments and non-governmental organizations have conducted frequent exchanges, including official exchange of delegations led by city leaders and Municipal People's Congresses, exchanges of languages, water and gas personnel exchanges, exchanges of erhu and acrobatics, sports exchanges such as table tennis, half marathon, golf, etc., as well as animal exchanges such as baboons and little pandas.
Education exchange: Jilin Experimental Middle School signed a cooperation agreement with Sendai City Nagacho Middle School, and Sendai Ikuei Gakuen signed cooperation agreements with Changchun No.11 High School and Changchun Foreign Language School respectively. Changchun No.2 Experimental Primary School was also invited to participate in Sendai International Children's Environment Forum. “China·Changchun International Sister Cities Children's Painting Exhibition” was held in Changchun and it invited the primary and middle school students in Sendai for participation. Changchun Youths Center Cultural Art Troupe went to Sendai for performance exchanges.
Cultural exchange: For more than 30 years, cultural events have been held such as the Japanese Calendar Exhibition, the Japanese Modern Architecture Photo Exhibition, the Nishino Soyama Calligraphy Exhibition, and Sendai Sparrow Dance Performance. The sculpture works of Sendai sculptor Sugisaki Shonori were selected as “98 China•Changchun International Sculpture Works Invitational Exhibition”, and were placed in Changchun World Sculpture Park. Since 1992, Changchun has invited Sendai to participate in the "China Changchun International Film Festival" for eight consecutive times.
Sports exchange: Since the first International Half Marathon held in Sendai in 1990, Changchun has sent sports delegations for 27 consecutive years and entered the top three for many times. In September 1996, Changchun held the "Changchun Commercial City Cup Cross-country Race", and it invited Sendai for participation. Sendai sent a delegation of 38 citizens to the competition. From 1992 to 2017, table tennis teams formed by players from Changchun and Sendai participated in the Sino-Japan Sister City Middle School Table Tennis Competition held for six times by The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in commemoration of Sino-Japan diplomatic relations restoration and won many championships and prizes. From 2011 to 2016, Changchun held six consecutive "Changchun International Sister Cities Half Marathon" races, and Sendai actively participated in all of them.
Exchange of science and technology talents: In meeting the economic and social development needs of Changchun, since 1980s, Changchun has sent professional technology exchange delegations in fields like gas, transportation, urban construction, Chinese medicine, martial arts, food, agriculture, environmental protection, printing, gardens, archives, computer, electronics, water supply, and machinery etc. to Sendai for learning and communication. Since the 1990s, Changchun and Sendai have also taken the lead in conducting administrative personnel exchanges.
Non-governmental exchanges: With the continuous acceleration of the opening up of Changchun and the development of international city construction, in 2006, Changchun Foreign Affairs Office planned the “Open Access for Changchun Citizens to Sister Cities in Japan”. In August 2006, the first delegation of “Open Access for Changchun Citizens to Sister Cities in Japan” was organized when Sendai Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine Day) was held, and 52 citizens from Changchun formed a delegation and visited Sendai where they carried out rich cultural exchanges with Sendai Municipal Government, non-governmental groups and Sendai citizens. From 2006 to 2019, Changchun Foreign Affairs Office organized six events of “Open Access for Changchun Citizens to Sister Cities in Japan”, visited Sendai four times, carried out communication with the government offices, civil societies and citizens of Sendai, experienced traditional Japanese culture such as tea making, flower arrangement, paper folding, and flower commemoration at Lu Xun Memorial in Sendai.
Citizen friendly exchange: While exchanges are carried out between Changchun and the Japanese local governments, Sendai Japan-China Friendship Association took the initiative to cooperate with the Japanese government, participated in the reception of Changchun delegations to Japan, sent appointed personnel to accompany the delegations, and provided warm, thoughtful and meticulous service for these delegations. In October 2000, in order to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a sister city relationship between Changchun and Sendai, the launch of "Sendai Street", the opening ceremony of this street, a road race, and the opening ceremony of the "Sendai Bus” were all held in Changchun.
Government exchange: In July 1997, a friendship delegation headed by the deputy mayor of Changchun visited Sendai and held a fund-granting ceremony for the “Changchun China-Japan Friendship Center”. On March 31, 2002 a flight was launched between Changchun Airport and Sendai Airport. In 2003, during the SARS epidemic, Sendai Municipal Government donated anti-SARS supplies to Changchun. After the 2011 "311" earthquake in Japan, the flight between Changchun and Sendai was suspended. After the Wenchuan Great Earthquake in 2008, Sendai Municipal Government entrusted Changchun Municipal Government to donate 1,000 blankets to the disaster area. After the “311” earthquake in Japan in 2011, Changchun quickly sent a letter of condolence to Sendai, which was seriously damaged in the earthquake, and donated RMB 500,000, four tons of mineral water and other relief supplies.
