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On July 17, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call from the delegation of the 10th Anniversary Japan-China Teenage Ambassador Program at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
The Prime Minister said in his address,
 
 “I am delighted to welcome you all to the Prime Minister’s Office on the 10th Anniversary of the Japan-China Teenage Ambassador Program.
 
I was told that, in addition to this year’s participants, we also have participants from the previous years present here today. I am very pleased to learn that the alumni of this program have cultivated friendships through the program and since gone on to take an active role in various formats to further deepen mutual understanding between Japan and China. Furthermore, I am also astounded by the absolutely perfect Japanese that the female representative of the alumni in China has shown in her address. I should probably learn from her as I am often criticized for my poor enunciation in the Diet.
 
It is of the greatest significance that you, those who will take Japan-China friendship and goodwill into the future, have gathered together in the 10th anniversary of the program to further broaden exchanges, and, in this regard, I would like to offer my most heartfelt encouragement to you all. For the past decade, this program has continued without interruption, no matter how Japan-China relations have developed over this period. I would also like to express my respect for the tremendous efforts of all those involved to continue this program.
 
In May, I welcomed Premier Li Keqiang to Japan, and we agreed to further promote people-to-people exchanges, including youth exchanges. In terms of government-to-government relations, Premier Li visited Japan recently and also took the time to make an excursion to Hokkaido. I would also like to visit China before the end of this year, and next year I hope to welcome President Xi Jinping to Japan. While we promote intergovernmental and leader-level exchanges in such a manner, people-to-people exchanges are most important. Particularly, youth exchanges will create the future for our two countries. In her address, the female representative from the alumni in Japan stated that she wants to see things as they are without preconceptions or prejudice. I also believe that this exactly is the most important point. Those whom I have met with often tell me that I am kinder than they originally thought. I believe that by making mutual visits to each other’s countries and getting to know a true picture of how things are will lead to even deeper exchanges in the future.
 
I have great expectations for your future efforts as we further broaden Japan-China friendship and goodwill. I sincerely hope that you will make full use of your experiences in the Teenage Ambassador Program to build many bridges of friendship between Japan and China in diverse areas. Thank you very much.”