On September 22, 2011, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun met with the delegation of Japanese youth cadres led by Taizo Nishimuro, the senior Japanese member of the 21st Century Committee for China-Japan Friendship and former president of Toshiba.

Zhang said that China admires the gesture of Japan's new cabinet of attaching importance to the China-Japan relations and is willing to work with Japan to strengthen dialogue, exchanges and cooperation in various fields and at all levels and promote the healthy and stable development of the bilateral ties. He hopes the members of the delegation understand China more comprehensively, objectively and deeply through the visit and become the champions and promoters of China-Japan friendly exchanges and cooperation and a major force for China-Japan friendship.

Taizo Nishimuro said that Noda's Cabinet is willing to constantly deepen the Japan-China strategic and mutually beneficial relationship. The visit of the delegation to China will benefit the long-term development of the bilateral relations.