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The Consul Generals in Shanghai talk about the exchanges and cooperation with China in the 40 years of reform and opening-up via Eastday.com.

Japan:China's development is astonishing
Source:english.eastday.com Date:2018-03-19

Kazuyuki Katayama, Consul General of Japan in Shanghai studied in China in 1984 and has witnessed the enormous changes since China’s reform and opening up in 1978.

“China has a quite rapid development. It has become the world’s leading position in many fields. More than 30 years ago, when I was still in Beijing, people used to pay in cash. But nowadays, Chinese people use Alipay everywhere.” said Katayama.

In Katayama's view, China's reform and opening up provides a good chance for the cooperation between China and Japan.“When I was in China in 1984, there were many factories in the countryside of Pudong. The tallest building at that time was Park Hotel on West Nanjing Road. But now, many skyscrapers lie in Pudong.”

Actually, many construction projects of Shanghai have absorbed Japanese experience, for instance, parts of Shanghai Pudong International Airport have been constructed with the support from Japan, Baowu Group, namely the original Baogang Group has been maintaining the cooperation with Nippon Steel Corporation, etc.

The current economical relation between the two countries is more and more close. According to Katayama, there are currently 10,000 Japanese companies that have established branches in Shanghai. Shanghai Japanese Commerce & Industry Club has 2400 members, larger than the club in any other countries. 80% of Japan's investment in China and 45% of its trade with China are concentrated in the jurisdiction areas of the Consulate General of Japan in Shanghai, especially in Shanghai city.

More and more Japanese companies have been exploring the Chinese market through Alibaba's platform in recent years.“For 45 years since the normalization of diplomatic ties between China and Japan, the volume of Sino-Japanese trade has increased by more than 300 times. Without the reform and opening-up policy, it is difficult to imagine that the trade cooperation between the two countries could gain such an achievement." added Katayama.

In the field of environmental protection, the two countries have also conducted cooperation. In the 1990s, the two countries jointly established a Sino-Japanese environmental protection center, which plays a role in Japanese companies' air and water quality testing, promotion of greening in China.

Culturally, the Japan Film Week which exhibits more than 10 excellent Japanese movies has become an old brand at the Shanghai International Film Festival held in June each year. Many Japanese singers would like to choose Shanghai as the place to perform concerts. Dramas of Shanghai Dance Theater have also staged in Japan and deeply loved by the Japanese. Exchanges between young people of the two countries are also increasing.

By Cao Jun & Wang Xiaoyang

Translated by Zheng Qian

日本驻沪总领事:中国发展之“快”令人惊叹

日本国驻沪总领事片山和之接受东方网的专访(图片来源:东方网)

樱花盛开,阳光明媚,上海春意渐浓。农历正月即将过去,日本驻沪总领事片山和之接受了东方网的专访,为东方网驻沪总领事谈“改革开放40周年”新春专题画上了圆满的句号。

2015年8月出任日本国驻上海总领事的片山和之虽然在上海只生活了2年7个月,但早在1984年他就曾留学中国,先后多次在中国工作、生活,因此可以说他亲眼见证了中国在改革开放后发生的巨大改变。

中国发展之“快”令人惊叹

“中国的发展非常迅速,在许多领域从过去的发展缓慢一跃成为世界领先地位。”改革开放之后中国的发展之“快”令片山惊叹。

“30多年前,也就是我还在北京的时候,那时候人们都还用现金支付,我记得那时的人民币都皱巴巴的。可是如今,日本还在用现金,中国却一下子连现金都不太用了,到哪儿都可以用支付宝。”片山说道。在移动支付领域中国所取得的成就有目共睹。

从固定电话还未普及、大哥大流行的年代,到人人都在使用智能手机的时代;从街边商铺还屈指可数的年代,到如今电商繁荣发展的时代,片山和之和中国人一起见证了中国改革开放后的飞速成长。

片山向我们展示华东地区中日合作项目的成果(图片来源:东方网)

日益紧密的中日经贸关系

“改革开放是日中开始各方面交流合作的一个契机。”对于改革开放对中日关系的影响,片山这样总结道。

在1979年日本首相的大平正芳的时代,正式启动了日本政府经济援助。“1984年我在中国的时候,上海浦东还有许多农村和工厂,其他什么都没有,最高的建筑还是南京西路上的国际饭店,但是现在,浦东有很多摩天大楼”,片山回忆道。上海在建设过程中也有部分项目借助了日本的经验与力量,比如上海浦东机场的一部分就是在日本的支持下建造的,宝武集团(原宝钢集团)与新日本制铁公司也常年保持着合作关系。

2017年是宝武和新日铁友好合作40周年纪念(本图由日本驻沪总领事馆提供)

如今上海地区和日本的的经济联系尤为密切。据片山介绍,目前在上海设立据点的日企有1万家,上海的日本商工俱乐部成员就有2400,和世界上其他地区的日本商工俱乐部相比规模最大。日本的对华投资的80%,对华贸易的45%都集中日本国驻上海总领事馆的管辖区内,特别是上海市。

另外近年来越来越多的日本企业通过阿里巴巴的平台开拓中国市场,寻求与中国的经贸合作。片山说,“日中邦交正常化45年来,日中贸易额增长了300倍以上。如果没有改革开放政策,很难想象两国的经贸合作能取得这样成绩。”

经贸合作之外,中日两国在环保领域也有所合作和发展,上个世纪90年代,两国在北京共同成立了中日友好环境保护中心,日本在中国的大气和水质检测、绿化的推广等环保事业中都提供了帮助。

文艺、国宝、青少年,文化交流一个都不落

片山对中日的文化交流的成果也是如数家珍。电影方面,每年6月举办的上海国际电影节上的日本电影周已是展映环节中的老牌单元,每次都会展映10多部优秀的日本电影。

上海电影节日本电影周(本图由日本驻沪总领事馆提供)

音乐演出方面,不少日本歌手都会来上海开演唱会,比如曾经因一首《昴》而为中国人所熟知的谷村新司去年就在上海举办了演唱会。还有2016年在上海博物馆举办的日本醍醐寺文物展览,当时日本的四大国立博物馆的馆长都齐聚上博,可见展出文物的等级之高。此外近年来上海歌舞剧团的舞剧《朱鹮》也在日本的舞台上大放异彩,三度赴日演出,深受日本人民的喜爱。

舞剧《朱鹮》剧照(本图由日本驻沪总领事馆提供)

中日青少年之间的交流也在日益增多,比如每半年日本早稻田大学-康师傅圆梦奖学金计划会招募一些中国高校的优秀学子赴日交流,并在学期结束时在上海举办经验交流会,而就在我们去采访的当天,据说即将进行新的一次经验交流会。片山个人也非常喜欢与大学生们交流,他每个月都会邀请上海的10名大学生在总领事官邸举行交流会。他还提到,两年前熊本发生地震的时候,上海甘泉中学的学生还寄来捐款让他非常感动。

在日本举行的日本早稻田大学-康师傅圆梦奖学金计划留学生欢迎会(图片来源:早稻田大学网站)

在采访的尾声,关于对中日关系的期许,片山和之说道,“日中是一衣带水的邻居,两国的发展是相互的,应建立互惠双赢的关系,在经济、文化、政治以及更多的领域谋求合作和交流。”

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