Mr. Takeo Kawamura is a well-known Japanese politician and senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan. He is now Member of the House of Representatives of Japan, Chairman of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, Chairperson of the Headquarters for Overcoming Population Decline and Regional Revitalization of the LDP, and President of the Japan-China Friendship Cultural Exchange Promotion Association. He also served as Chairman of the LDP’s Election Strategy Committee, Chief Cabinet Secretary and Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.

The significance of a friendly bilateral relationship between China and Japan has grown increasingly prominent in the contemporary international relations. This has been a major area of work for Mr. Takeo Kawamura in recent years. He led Japanese delegations and attended major events such as the Reception Marking the 40th Anniversary of The Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan, the Shanghai Forum 2018, and the Peace IS Blessing Art Exhibition of Renowned Chinese and Japanese Artists. Furthermore, he campaigns for a friendly relationship between China and Japan, and has reiterated the message in several speeches, noting “China and Japan are mutually indispensable partners. There is no doubt that a steady China-Japan relationship plays a key role in anchoring the evolving international situations” and “The fast renormalization of China and Japan is of great significance. The time has arrived for both countries to work toward mutual understanding and mutual coordination.” Mr. Takeo Kawamura has dedicated great efforts and made great contributions to the continuous improvement of China-Japan relations.

Mr. Takeo Kawamura was born in Yamaguchi, Japan, and graduated from the Faculty of Business and Commerce of Keio University. Since he entered the political arena in 1976, he’s served several terms in the House of Representatives of Japan, and has made unwavering efforts in furthering friendly exchanges between China and Japan in culture, youth and other areas. In 2018, he became President of the Japan-China Friendship Cultural Exchange Promotion Association, since then he’s used the association as a platform and initiated a series of events in Japan, including the Conference in Commemoration of the 120th Anniversary of Premier Zhou Enlai, Commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of The Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan, Exhibition of Artworks of Renowned Chinese and Japanese Artists and China-Japan Cultural Festival, the 2018 China Festival, and the Western Japanese Region China-Japan Friendship Exchange Conference. Besides, Mr. Takeo Kawamura is Honorary President of the Japanese Table Tennis Association; he suggested, furthering the tradition of table tennis friendly exchanges between China and Japan, enhanced exchanges and friendships between the younger generations of the two countries, and therefore advocated and organized friendlies like the Table Tennis Friendly for Junior Secondary Students of China-Japan Friendship Exchange Cities and the China-Japan International Table Tennis Exchange. These events have provided the people of the two countries with great opportunities to understand the historical and cultural ties of the two countries, and therefore have greatly reinforced their friendship.

The work of Mr. Takeo Kawamura has enhanced diplomatic and non-governmental exchanges between China and Japan, which contributes positively to the long-term stabilization of the China-Japan relations, has set a friendly tone for exchanges between the two peoples, and has opened up new prospects for diplomatic cooperation between China and Japan.