Hata Norio: first holder of PRC’s Permanent Residence Certificate

Ties with China

When many people see the name “秦范雄 (Qin Fanxiong)”, they would think that this sprightly old man is Chinese. His fluent Mandarin makes it hard for anybody to believe he was born and bred in Japan.

This year marks the 32nd year living in Shanghai for Hata Norio. Before working in Shanghai, he worked in Hong Kong for 20 years but he feels that it is in Shanghai, the outpost of reform and opening up, where he formed a tie with China and has made contributions with his time, energy and talent. The moment the Chinese government issued him the People’s Republic of China’s Permanent Residence Certificate numbered 001, he was destined to be a witness of this city who would join the citizenry in pushing its development.

(Hata Norio)