Sun Chunlan, president of the International Confucian Association (ICA), met on March 25 with the organization’s chairman, Yasuo Fukuda, who is also a former prime minister of Japan and president of the Asian Community for Humanities Cooperation, at the National Museum of China.   

Sun warmly welcomed Fukuda, praising his long-standing efforts in enhancing cultural exchanges and people-to-people activities between China and Japan, and furthering Sino-Japanese relations. She also thanked him for his role as the ICA’s chairman.

They discussed important initiatives of the association in 2024, such as the International Academic Seminar marking the 2575th anniversary of Confucius' birth, the 7th General Assembly, the HEHE Civilization Forum, and strengthening collaboration with the Asian Community for Humanities Cooperation of Japan.

Fukuda said he was pleased to reunite with Sun and anticipated enhancing collaboration in advancing Confucian studies, promoting Sino-Japanese friendship, fostering cultural exchanges, and mutual learning.

Also present were others from various key positions in the Asian Community for Humanities Cooperation, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the ICA.