On April 16, 2009, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse with Ryoki Sugita, Chairman of Nikkei Inc.

During the meeting, Yang appreciated the efforts Nikkei Inc. and Chairman Ryoki Sugita have made in recent years to promote exchanges between the economic circles of the two countries and build mutual understanding between both peoples. Yang said during President Hu Jintao’s successful visit to Japan last year, both sides mapped out the direction for the development of China-Japan strategic reciprocal relations, which was of great historic significance. As the global financial crisis is still spreading, China and Japan, as two major economies of the world, should strengthen cooperation and jointly cope with the challenges. He hoped that Nikkei Inc. will play a positive role in this regard.

Sugita said in the context of the financial crisis, China is playing an increasingly important role in the world arena and the world is also paying closer attention to China. Nikkei Inc. is ready to continue offering objective and balanced reporting on China in a bid to contribute to promoting Japan-China friendly cooperation.

Yang also took questions form the journalists on China-Japan relations and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

Sugita is here in Beijing to attend the annual board meeting of Tsinghua-Nikkei Institute of Media Studies jointly founded by Tsinghua University and Nikkei Inc.