From August 4 to 6, 2025, the 2025 Sino-Japanese Friendship Table Tennis Competition for Junior High School Students was successfully held in Beijing. The competition was co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the China-Japan Friendship Association, the China Table Tennis Association, the Japan-China Friendship Association and the Japan Table Tennis Association.

Yang Wanming, President of the CPAFFC; Wang Liqin, President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association; Masayoshi Kawada, President of the Japan Table Tennis Association; Takashi Kawatsu, Vice President of the Japan-China Friendship Association; and Kanasugi Kenji, Japanese Ambassador to China delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. At the closing and award ceremony, Cheng Yonghua, Executive Vice President of the China-Japan Friendship Association, and Utsunomiya Tokuichiro, President of the Japan-China Friendship Association, addressed the audience. At the celebratory reception, Vice President Yuan Mindao of the CPAFFC; President Utsunomiya Tokuichiro of Japan-China Friendship Association, Nakahara Shinji, President of All Nippon Airways China, and three representatives of the champion teams delivered remarks respectively. Counselor Nie Jia of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Zhang Jian and Vice President Tian Zhihong of Beijing Sport University, Vice President Qin Zhijian of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, Executive Vice President Zhang Qian of the Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Second-class Inspector Yang Jun of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, Adviser Takeo Kawamura of the Japan Table Tennis Association and former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Minister Sonoda Yō of the Japanese Embassy in China, Director Yamamoto Tomohiko of the Beijing Office of the Japan Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, and Kashiwagi Midori, Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Center in Beijing, together with about 500 participants including distinguished guests and representatives from the governments, local friendship associations, universities, enterprises, and media of two countries, as well as 42 participating teams jointly formed by friendly exchange cities of China and Japan, took part in the competition and related events.

(President Yang Wanming delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the competition)

At the opening ceremony, President Yang declared the opening of the competition, noting that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, exchanges and cooperation at various levels have steadily advanced, further enriching the China-Japan relationship of strategic and mutually beneficial cooperation. He stressed that the foundation of friendship lies among the people, and its future rests with the younger generation. Recalling President Xi Jinping's recent message to the World Youth Conference for Peace in Beijing last week, he emphasized that peace depends on the youth, who should act as advocates and practitioners of peace, contributing their wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future for humankind.

President Yang added that the youth of China and Japan bear the future of bilateral relations and the mission of friendship: "Only by cherishing peace can sustainable development be ensured; only when the youth are united can the future be bright. I hope that young athletes from two countries will use this competition as an opportunity to enhance understanding, forge friendships, and grow into guardians of peace, inheritors of friendship, and creators of the future."

President Utsunomiya Tokuichiro remarked that mixed Chinese and Japanese teams competed side by side and delivered impressive matches. He expressed the hope that young participants would transcend national boundaries, deepen their friendships, and become a driving force for the continued development of China-Japan friendship.

Wang Liqin, President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, highlighted that table tennis is not only China's national sport but also a "silver bond" linking the people-to-people friendship between China and Japan. He encouraged the youth to value this exchange, refine their skills, nurture friendships, broaden their horizons, and demonstrate both sportsmanship and camaraderie.

Masayoshi Kawada, President of the Japan Table Tennis Association, said that this competition had provided an important platform for exchanges between young people from the two countries' friendship cities, playing a vital role in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. He hoped that the participants uphold the spirit of "friendship first", enjoy the competition with passion, and leave with unforgettable experiences and lasting friendships.

Ambassador Kanasugi Kenji noted that this competition offered a valuable opportunity for young people from China and Japan to foster mutual understanding through direct interaction. He voiced confidence that these experiences would enable the youth to contribute to peace and development in bilateral relations, the region, and the world at large.

(President Yang Wanming and Ambassador Kanasugi Kenji, partnering respectively with Liu Shiwen and Lin Gaoyuan, jointly serves the opening ball of the competition)

At the opening ceremony, President Yang Wanming and Ambassador Kanasugi Kenji, partnering respectively with former world champion Liu Shiwen and reigning world champion Lin Gaoyuan, jointly served the opening ball of the competition. Liu Shiwen and Lin Gaoyuan also staged an exhibition match, igniting an electrifying atmosphere among the audience.

The competition concluded with the awarding of champions, runners-up, third-place winners, and excellence awards. The Tianjin-Kobe team, Qingdao-Shimonoseki team, and Wuhu-Kochi team emerged as the champions.

During the event, junior high school athletes from China and Japan also trained with the Chinese National Youth Table Tennis Team and toured Shougang Park and Beijing Municipal Administrative Center.

(Cheng Yonghua, Executive Vice President of the China-Japan Friendship Association and Utsunomiya Tokuichiro, President of Japan-China Friendship Association, present trophies to the champion teams)

Since its inception in 1990, the Sino-Japanese Friendship Table Tennis Competition for Junior High School Students has been held eight times. As a regularized exchange event, it features mixed teams of young players from the two countries' friendship cities.