Satoshi Murata: progressing with China’s steel industry

Head of NSSMC Shanghai Representative Office, Satoshi Murata, was sent to Shanghai 3 years ago. Though he has not experienced the 40-year story himself, he is more than familiar with the friendship between NSSMC and Baosteel.

(Satoshi Murata interviewed by eastday.com)

The normalized diplomatic relations between China and Japan was an opportunity that both governments grasped to entrust NSSMC to modernize Wuhan’s 1,700mm hot rolling assembly line.

It represented the beginning of friendship between the two countries. In addition, NSSMC also provided the devices for electric steel assembly lines and offered operations training for Chinese workers. When Deng Xiaoping inspected the Junjin steel factory of NSSMC in October 1978 he said, “I wish to build a steel factory the same as this one.” President Yoshihiro Inayama agreed at that time to give full support to help the construction of Baosteel.

“Baosteel once faced a shutdown crisis but recovered with the Japanese government’s ODA. In September 1985 when Baosteel lit up its first blast furnace, the entire procedure went into full operation in the second year.”