H.E Mr. Zhu Rongji
Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
Your Excellency,
On the occasion of this memorable day marking the 30th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-China relations, on behalf of the Government and people of Japan, I would like to convey my heartfelt greetings to Your Excellency and the people of China, and at the same time wish to share with you the great joy of seeing the coming of this day.
During the last 30 years, Japan and China have strengthened ties across the entire spectrum including politics, economics, and culture, and now together our countries have come to bear an extremely important responsibility for the peace and prosperity of not only the region but also the world. I wish to continue to strengthen our wide-ranging cooperative relationship with your country.
This year in particular, mutual understanding and trust between Japan and China are being promoted, especially among the younger generations, through the various activities of "Japan Year" and "China Year" in 2002. I strongly hope that these activities prove an opportunity to further deepen the bonds that join our two countries.
In closing, I would like to express my heartfelt wishes for the further prosperity of Your Excellency and China.
