On September 26, 2019, the unveiling ceremony for the Window of China-Japan Exchanges Hohhot was held at the Foreign Languages College of IMU. Prof. Zhang Jiwei, vice president of IMU, Mr. Hori Yoshio, director, and Mr. Yamasaki Takaya, senior executive of the China Center of the Japan Foundation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Associate Professor Batu from Qinghai Nationalities University attended the ceremony. Also present at the ceremony were more than eighty people including Mr. Bagg, secretary of the CPC Committee of the college, Prof. Li Manliang, principal of the college, Ms. Sun Guiling, vice director of the Division of International Cooperation and Exchange of IMU, A. P. Bao Heshigt, vice director of the Japanese Studies Center of IMU, Ms. Bao Arong and Ms. Badma, teachers from the Japanese Department of the college as well as representatives of students from the Japanese Department of the college. The ceremony was presided over by A.P. Bao Heshigt, vice director of the Japanese Studies Center of IMU.
Prof. Zhang Jiwei, vice president of IMU, delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of IMU to the leaders and guests present at the ceremony and gave a brief introduction to IMU and its cooperation and exchanges with Japanese universities. Prof. Zhang remarked that IMU would fully support the Window of China-Japan Exchanges to facilitate its functioning as the Window would provide a platform for learning and exchanges for the teachers and students of the Japanese Department of IMU and other universities in Hohhot as well as other Japanese learners, open a window to the Japanese culture for the public, and build a bridge for the cultural exchanges between China and Japan.
By quoting President Xi Jinping’s remark at the China-Japan Friendship Meeting held in 2015 that “the Chinese government supports the people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and encourages people of all walks of life, particularly the younger generation to devote themselves actively into the cause of China-Japan friendship and to enhance mutual understanding, establish mutual trust and develop friendship”, and that “the youths of both countries should affirm their faith in friendship, take proactive measures, make incessant efforts to sow seeds of friendship, so as to make the tree of China-Japan friendship flourish and multiply into a dense forest and to make the people of both countries live in friendship for the generations beyond.”，Prof. Zhang expressed his wishes that the Window of China-Japan Exchanges would be a complete success and would make substantial achievement in cultural exchanges between China and Japan, particularly the exchanges between youths of both countries.
Prof. Li Manliang, principal of the Foreign Languages College of IMU, also delivered a speech on behalf of the college. Prof. Li began his speech by extending warm welcome to the Japanese guests and offering sincere congratulations to the establishment of the Window of China-Japan Exchanges Hohhot on behalf of the college. In his speech, Prof. Li gave a brief introduction to the Japanese Department of the Foreign Languages College of IMU, and expressed his confidence that the Window of China-Japan Exchanges Hohhot, with the full support of the leadership of IMU and the College and the joint efforts of the faculty and students of the Japanese Department, would make as great achievements as expected.
Mr. Hori Yoshio, director of the China Center of the Japan Foundation, delivered a speech on behalf of the Japanese side. Mr. Hori began his speech by expressing his gratitude to IMU for supporting his work and offering warm congratulations from the Japanese side on the establishment of the Window of China-Japan Exchanges Hohhot. Mr. Hori gave a brief introduction to the history of and the activities carried out by the Japan Foundation and its China Center, emphasized the significance of China-Japan relation and the importance of the unique cultural appeals of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China-Japan cultural exchanges, stated his appreciation of cooperation with IMU, and expressed his wishes that the establishment of the Window of China-Japan Exchanges Hohhot would create a bond between Japan and Inner Mongolia and in particular between Japan and IMU, promote cultural exchanges between people of both countries, especially between university students of both countries, and better maintain and develop the China-Japan friendship through cultural exchanges.
To conclude the ceremony, Mr. Hori Yoshio and Prof. Zhang Jiwei unveiled the Window of China-Japan Exchanges Hohhot and exchanged souvenirs, announcing the official settlement of the Window of China-Japan Exchanges Hohhot at the Foreign Languages College of IMU.
It is our firm belief that with the joint efforts of both the Chinese and the Japanese sides, the Window of China-Japan Hohhot will function smoothly and yield considerable contributions to the international cooperation and exchanges between IMU and Japan and between Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Japan.
