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A large-scale Sino-Japanese benefit concert, jointly sponsored by the CPAFFC, the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development (CFFPD), the Shanghai Municipal Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SMPAFFC) and the Jiangsu Provincial Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (JPPAFFC) with renowned Japanese musician Shinji Tanimura as the executive producer, was held in Shanghai and Nanjing respectively on September 29 and October 1, 2007 to mark the 35th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan and the China-Japan Cultural and Sports Exchange Year. It was of special significance that September 29, the signing date of the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, was chosen for the concert to renew friendship between the Chinese and Japanese peoples and to wish the two countries better future through music. The two concerts drew large numbers of people and were permeated with warm atmosphere and touching scenes.

Press Conference and Benefit Reception

A press conference for the concert was held in the Conference Hall of the Shanghai International Convention Centre at 7 pm on September 28. CPAFFC Vice President Li Xiaolin, SMPAFFC Vice President Wang Xiaoshu, President of the Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group Xue Peijian, Japanese Consul General in Shanghai Yuji Kumamaru, Member of the Japanese House of Councillors Tomoko Ukishima as well as Shinji Tanimura, Ayaka Hirahara, Mao Ning, Chen Ming and other artists taking part in the concerts attended the press conference. In her speech made on behalf of the Chinese side, Vice President Li Xiaolin said, with the care of the friendly personages of various circles of the two countries, the saplings of China-Japan friendship the two peoples planted together 35 years ago have now grown into tall trees. As an old friend of the Chinese people, Mr. Shinji Tanimura has been working hard for the cause of Sino-Japanese friendship over the years. He has promoted the friendly exchanges between China and Japan through music and made tremendous contributions to increasing friendship between the two peoples. The Vice President announced the official setting up of the Shinji Tanimura Youth Cultural Exchange Fund under the CFFPD. With donations from Shinji Tanimura, the fund aims at increasing cultural exchanges between the youth and children of the two countries.

Shinji Tanimura said, it has been his long-cherished wish to promote the friendly sentiments between the people of Japan and China with “a heart of music” and that he would continue to make due contributions to lasting friendship between Japan and China.

After the press conference, more than 300 people of various circles of the two countries attended a benefit reception. Takako Tanimura, president of DAO Co., Ltd. and wife of Shinji Tanimura, said at the reception that she would donate all the proceeds of the reception to the Shinji Tanimura Youth Exchange Fund. Li Xiaolin expressed her appreciation and on behalf of the CPAFFC and the CFFPD, presented the Award for Contribution to Peace and Development to Shinji Tanimura.

Concerts in Shanghai and Nanjing

A concert was held at the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre on September 29. Vice President Li Xiaolin, Zhou Muyao, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Peoples Congress and president of the SMPAFFC, Wang Xiaoshu, vice president of the SMPAFFC, leaders of the Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group, Heizo Takenaka, former Japanese minister of internal affairs and communications, Katsuhito Asano, former Japanese vice foreign minister, Yuji Kumamaru, Japanese consul general in Shanghai and Tomoko Ukishima, member of the Japanese House of Councillors, among over 1,800 people watched the performance. The concert began with a suite of songs Red Dragonfly·Jasmine Flower by Chinese and Japanese childrens choruses. Following it, Shinji Tanimura, Ayaka Hirahara, Mao Amin, Mao Ning and others took the stage in succession to present their representative works. The beautiful melody and singing, the interaction between the singers and the audience brought forth waves upon waves of warm applause. The singing by Shinji Tanimura of his best known song Subaru at the end pushed the concert to its climax. All the audience rose to their feet waving the Chinese and Japanese national flags. It was a touching scene of China-Japan friendship.

The second concert was held in the Nanjing Great Hall of the People on October 1. Shinji Tanimura, Ayaka Hirahara, well-known Chinese conductor Chen Xieyang and singers Mao Ning and Chen Ming gave excellent performances for more than 2,000 Chinese and Japanese audience. Present at the concert were Huang Lixin, deputy governor of Jiangsu, Feng Jianqin, vice chairman of the Provincial Committee of the Jiangsu Peoples Political Consultative Conference, Wu Xijun, president of the JPPAFFC and Yuji Kumamaru, Japanese consul general in Shanghai.