State Councilor Tang
Jiaxuan met with visiting Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda of Soka
Gakkai International (SGI) yesterday.
Tang said SGI, a Japan-based Buddhist organization, has
persevered in
China-Japan friendship for a long time and made contributions
to promoting bilateral exchanges in various fields and enhancing
the friendly ties between the two peoples.
Tang praised president of SGI, Daisaku Ikeda, saying he is an
"old friend" of the Chinese people who has devoted himself to the
cause of China-Japan friendship.
Daisaku Ikeda advocated normalizing diplomatic relations between
China and Japan in the 1960s. Recently, he once again put forward
important views on improving and developing bilateral ties. "We
highly appreciate his deeds and words," Tang said.
Tang expressed his hope that SGI will inherit the good
traditions and continue to develop the ties of the two countries
together with the Chinese side and act in accordance with the
spirit of "taking history as a mirror and looking forward to the
future," to enhance the healthy and stable development of bilateral
relations.
Hiromasa Ikeda and his delegation are in Beijing as guests of
the China-Japan Friendship Association.
(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2006)