Editor’s Note:
Upon the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between China and Japan, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou (Kong) said that the last 50 years, although only a short fragment of the 2,000-year-long history of the two countries’ interaction, is undoubtedly a period when bilateral relations developed most rapidly, bringing the most benefits to both peoples and the greatest impact on the world. Before assuming his post as the ambassador in May 2019, Kong had worked in Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan three times, the earliest one in the 1980s. Talking about the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, the ups and downs that he personally witnessed, he stressed, during an exclusive interview with the Global Times (GT), that the connotation of China-Japan relations has never been limited to bilateralism, but also been closely influenced by regional and international situation. “Along with the rapid development of bilateral t