Chinese military officers were welcomed in Tokyo on Thursday by their counterparts in the Japan Self-Defense Forces as part of an exchange visit.
The program, organized by Japan’s Sasakawa Peace Foundation, began about 20 years ago to facilitate mutual understanding for officers in both nations. A group of SDF members visited China in 2023.
A delegation of 20 Chinese officers arrived in Japan on Tuesday, the first visit of its kind in five years. The group attended a welcome event at a hotel in Tokyo on Thursday.
Chinese army Major General Zhang Baoqun said that he was very glad to pay a friendly visit to Japan.
He added that he wanted to listen to views on China and talk about his impressions of Japan. He said he hoped both sides could deepen mutual understanding and think about bilateral ties together.
Japanese and Chinese participants in the gathering, including SDF officers, discussed their careers. They had exchanged opinions about bilateral issues on Wednesday.
The Chinese delegation is scheduled to visit SDF facilities during their stay in Japan through Monday.