On the afternoon of October 10, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori met in his residence with representatives of Chinese students studying in Japan. Present on the occasion, Chinese Ambassador Chen Jian said that this itinerary was arranged in accordance with the Prime Minister's proposal.

The Japanese Prime Minister said, "As everybody knows, Premier Zhu Rongji will pay an official visit to Japan from October 12-17. This is a major diplomatic activity taken place between Japan and China in the last year of this century, which will promote the development of Japan-China relations in various fields. I am expecting to meet with Premier Zhu Rongji." Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori wishes complete success to Premier Zhu Rongji's Japan visit.

Yoshiro Mori stressed, "The fundamental of the friendly relations between Japan and China in the 21st century lies in the mutual understanding of the two peoples, Premier Zhu's upcoming visit to Japan will deepen the mutual trust and understanding between Japan and China. During President Jiang Zemin's visit to Japan in 1998, the two sides of Japan and China established a friendly cooperative partnership geared to the 21st century and devoted to peace and development, which has boosted the constant development of the friendly ties between the two countries." The Japanese Prime Minister humorously told Chinese students in Japan that over 30 years ago, there were very few foreign students studying in Japan when he was studying in Waseda University. Once when he participated in a gathering of foreign students, he asked a girl student about which country she was from. Unexpectedly, this girl student was also a Japanese who later became his wife. The Prime Minister said that the foreign students were future "ambassadors", he hoped that Chinese students in Japan would study hard, so that they would serve as bridges and links for Japan-China friendly cooperation in the 21st century.

There have been endless reports by Japanese media about Premier Zhu Rongji's Japan visit. On October 2, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun opened a special China page, reporting on China's present economic situation, and giving a detailed account of the situation regarding China's large-scale western region development; on October 5, Japan's largest TV Station NHK broadcast a special program on an interview with Premier Zhu Rongji, the main reporter Mr Miyazaki Isamu, a noted Japanese economist and old friend of Premier Zhu Rongji, his interview with the Chinese premier left a deep impression on the audience. On October 6, on the front page of the newspaper, Japan and China, published ahead of time, the banner headline title wrote: Welcome Premier Zhu Rongji. The report said that the various Japanese circles are eagerly expecting Premier Zhu Rongji's visit. The newspaper also published the Chinese premier's autobiography and the list of the members of the Chinese delegation. In the special column, texts and photos were carried in the Economic Page of Yomiuri Shimbun on October 7, giving an account of the Chinese citizen group tour of Japan that began this past September, which say, "China, with a population of nearly 1.3 billion, is a huge market for Japanese tourist industry." On October 9, a whole ad page was published in leading newspapers by the Japan Communication and Education Union, selling the latest set of eight-boxes magnetic tapes about Chinese history, culture and natural scene. On October 10, the International Trade published a Special on Premier Zhu Rongji's visit to Japan, the banner title on the front page reads: Welcome Premier Zhu Rongji's visit to Japan to establish a new-type Japan-China economic cooperative relationship oriented toward the 21st century.

Speaking about Premier Zhu Rongji's visit, personages of various Japanese circles all said in one voice: Warm Wecome! Sakurai Yosio, president of the Japanese Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said, "While in Beijing this past April, Zhu Rongji met with my council delegation and briefed us on China's pending accession to the WTO and the situation regarding China's large-scale development of the western regions. The situation about the meeting still remains fresh in my memory. My council and related enterprises are making efforts for cooperation in the development of China's western regions. We express our heartfelt welcome to Premier Zhu Rongji's visit to Japan, and expect that the Chinese premier's visit would lead to the further expansion of Japan-China economic cooperation." Kanai Tsutomu, president of Hitachi Company, said, "I've the honor to have seen Premier Zhu Rongji many times, and each time he has given detailed answers to the questions raised by the Japanese side, he often cited data for explanations, his sincere attitude was really touching. Premier Zhu Rongji comes to visit Japan in the last year of the 20th century, I hope that his visit would transmit the information about the stable development of Japan-China relationship in the 21st century to Asia and the rest of the world." Mori Minoru, president of Mori-Building Company, said, "Premier Zhu Rongji is shouldering the heavy tasks of the reforms of administration, finance and state-owned enterprises, I admire him from the bottom of my heart for his ability of leadership displayed in overcoming difficulties to push forward reforms. My company has successively invested in the construction of the 24-storied Mori Tower in Dalian, in building the 46-storied Shanghai-Mori International Mansion in Shanghai's Pudong, and we are making final preparations for the construction of a 90-plus-story Global Financial Center in the Pudong District. I hope that more cooperation with China will be carried out in the aspect of urban development and construction. We extend sincere welcome to Premier Zhu's visit to Japan."

People in various Japanese circles are earnestly expecting the official and friendly visit to be paid by Premier Zhu Rongji to Japan, believing that it will add a new, glorious chapter to the neighborly and friendly cooperative relations between the two countries.

(People's Daily 10/13/2000)