Yoshiharu Fukuhara, honorary president of Japanese cosmetics giant Shiseido was made an honorary citizen of Beijing Wednesday.
Liu Qi, Beijing's mayor, praised Fukuhara for his investment in the city over the past decade and invited more elite enterprises to open their businesses here.
Shiseido established a joint venture in Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone ten years ago. The venture has contributed over 600 million yuan (US$72.3 million) in taxes over the past eight years, making it the top tax payer in the zone.
The joint venture has given financial aid to flood-stricken areas in China and donated 150,000 yuan (US$18,072) to Project Hope, the education charity, in 2000.
Fukuhara was the 20th honorary citizen of Beijing, and he said he would work hard to promote mutual friendship between the peoples of China and Japan.
(People's Daily August 29, 2002)
