３０ｔｈ Ａｎｎｉｖｅｒｓａｒｙ ｏｆ Ｓｉｇｎｉｎｇ ｏｆ Ｃｈｉｎａ－Ｊａｐａｎ Ｔｒｅａｔｙ ｏｆ Ｐｅａｃｅ ａｎｄ Ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓｈｉｐ Ｍａｒｋｅｄ ｉｎ Ｂｅｉｊｉｎｇ

In Japan on October 23， 1978， the then Vice Premier of the State Council Deng Xiping and Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda attended the ceremony of exchanging the instruments of ratification of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship. The Treaty formally came into force and became one of the basic documents guiding the development of China-Japan relations. On October 24， 2008， the CPAFFC and the China-Japan Friendship Association (CJFA) held a grand reception at the Great Hall of the People to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Treaty. President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso attended the reception and spoke on the occasion. Li Jianguo， vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress; Dai Bingguo， state councillor; Sun Jiazheng， vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; Comrade Tang Jiaxuan; Song Jian， president of the CJFA; Yang Jiechi， foreign minister; Wang Yi， director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council; Cai Wu， minister of culture; Chen Haosu， CPAFFC president， Jing Dunquan， CPAFFC vice president， as well as leading officials of the ministries， commissions and organizations concerned， and Chikako Aso， wife ofJapanese Prime Minister Taro Aso; Tomiichi Murayama， former Japanese prime minister; Masahiko Komura， president of the Dietmen’s League for Japan-China Friendship; Koichi Kato， president of the Japan-China Friendship Association; Takeshi Noda， president of the Japan-China Society; Takashi Tsujii， president of the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association; Yoshiro Hayashi， president of the Japan-China Friendship Centre; Yoshimasa Hayashi， former minister of defense; Koki Chuma， member of the House of Representatives; and representatives of other Japanese organizations and various social circles of China and Japan totalling over 500 people were present at the reception.

In his speech， President Hu Jintao said， 30 years ago， statesmen of the older generation of the two countries including Comrade Deng Xiao- ping and Mr. Takeo Fukuda by sizing up the situation and taking a broad and long-term view， made the strategic decision to push the two countries to sign the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship. The Treaty is another important historic document in the course of development of China-Japan relations since the two governments signed the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement and normalized the bilateral relations in 1972.It has for the first time set down in legal form the general direction of peaceful coexistence and long-term friendship between China and Japan， two close neighbours separated only by a strip of water， reaffirmed the important principles put forth in the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement and played an important role in advancing the development of bilateral relations in the correct direction.

Hu Jintao stressed， over the past 30 years since the signing of the Treaty， despite some difficulties and twists and turns， peace， friendship and cooperation have remained the mainstream of China-Japan relations. Great progress has been made in the bilateral friendly cooperation in all fields. The two sides have successively issued the China-Japan Joint Declaration and the China-Japan Joint Statement on All-round Promotion of Strategic Relationship of Mutual Benefit. These two documents together with the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement and the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship constitute the four political documents guiding the development of relations between the two countries and have laid a political foundation for the long-term stable development of the bilateral relations.

Hu Jintao pointed out， the achievements in the current China-Japan friendly cooperation have not come by easily. For a long time despite changes in the international situation and the situation in China and Japan， personages of insight of various circles of the two countries including the seven Japanese friendship-with-China organizations have always had confidence in China-Japan friendship， untiringly pursued the cause of friendship， made conscientious and assiduous efforts， did a great amount of painstaking and fruitful work and made important contributions. “Here， on behalf of the Chinese Government and people， I wish to extend my high respect to all the Japanese friendship-with-China organizations and personages of various circles who have made contributions to China-Japan friendship，” Hu added.

Hu Jintao said， China- Japan relationship is now at a new historical starting point and facing a new important period of opportunities and a broader space of development. We are willing to stand together with the Japanese side， firmly grasp the correct orientation of the development of bilateral relations， enhance mutual political trust， deepen mutually beneficial cooperation， and expand friendly exchanges so as to promote a steady， sound and in-depth development of the China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit.

In his speech， Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said， in the past 30 years， Japan and China have carried out continuous exchanges and cooperation in extensive fields. The good development of Japan-China relationship today should be attributed to those who have been working hard for it. Japan and China are permanent neighbours， and Japan-China relationship is a mutually indispensable partnership. The two countries should continue to carry out dialogue and exchanges at varied levels and in the spirit of mutual benefit and seeking win-win results strengthen consultation and cooperation to realize common development and work for stability and prosperity in Asia and the world.

In his speech， CJFA President Song Jian said， guided by the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries， both Chinese and Japanese nongovernmental organizations will carry on and develop the fine tradition of nongovernmental exchanges between the two countries and take the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty as a new opportunity to carry out extensive exchanges and cooperation in various fields and make unremitting efforts to realize the grand goal of “peaceful coexistence， lasting friendship， mutually beneficial cooperation and commondevelopment” of the two countries.

Before the reception President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Taro Aso had pictures taken with the Chinese and Japanese friendly personages who attended the reception.