[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call from the First Visiting Group of “500 Chinese High School Student Friendship and Exchange Ambassadors”, at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Prime Minister said in his address,

“Greetings to all of the Chinese High School Student Friendship and Exchange Ambassadors. Welcome to the Prime Minister's Office. I offer my heartfelt welcome to you all on your visit to Japan.

When I met with Premier Li during the recent Japan-China Summit Meeting, we shared the view that we would further reinforce trends toward bilateral friendship and the improvement of relations with the ‘Mutually Beneficial Relationship based on Common Strategic Interests’ as the foundation.

I am extremely pleased to receive all of you as Friendship and Exchange Ambassadors such a short time after that meeting.

Although you have only been here for a short time, I believe that your stay has been extremely significant for Japan. I hope that by actually seeing Japan with your own eyes and experiencing it, your impressions of our country have changed considerably.

In particular, I think that it is truly wonderful that you were able to sow the seeds of friendship through your meetings and conversations with Japanese high school students.

I would be very happy if you would frankly communicate what you experienced and felt to your friends and family after you return to China.

I have heard that you planted a commemorative tree together with Japanese high school students. Just like that tree you planted, I hope that the seed of friendship between China and Japan will grow tall in the future.

The future of Japan and China, as well as the future of our countries’ friendship, truly depends on young people. I hope that all of you will hold your budding feelings of friendship with Japan dear and please continue act as a bridge between our countries.”