Chongqing - To strengthen exchanges and cooperation with foreign embassies and consulates in Chongqing and improve the international level of Chongqing's cultural tourism, Liu Qi, Party Committee Secretary and Director of Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development met with Mr. Nobuyuki Watanabe, Consul-General of Japan in Chongqing, and his entourage on the afternoon of May 14, 2021. The two sides exchanged opinions on the relevant details of "Chongqing-Japan Festival 2021" and discussed the next cooperation in cultural tourism.

Liu Qi (R) Meets with Mr. Nobuyuki Watanabe (L), the Consul-General of Japan in Chongqing

Liu expressed his sincere welcome to the arrival of Mr. Nobuyuki Watanabe and his retinue and made clear his full support to the holding of the festival. He introduced that Chongqing expedites the building of diversified facilities and service platforms for external exchanges, including the Window of Chongqing International Culture & Tourism, the Chongqing Culture & Tourism International Exchange Center. Furthermore, the city is exploring and expanding the external exchange function of Chongqing Library and other units to comprehensively improve the international communication capability of Chongqing in cultural tourism. Furthermore, he warmly welcomed the Japanese consulate and other foreign embassies and consulates in Chongqing, the international sister cities of Chongqing, and relevant countries (regions) to carry out exchanges, exhibitions, publicity, and activities related to government-business relations and government affairs on the above-mentioned platforms.

Director Liu emphasized the Window of Chongqing International Culture & Tourism function, a smart and international platform. He said that Chongqing would strive to build the window into China's first comprehensive public service platform that integrates outbound tourism, foreign-related government-business relations and government affairs, international exchanges, exhibitions, and publicity. Innovatively, the city will adapt to new trends in the development of international and domestic exchanges, meet related new requirements, and serve the new international development of Chongqing's cultural tours the next year marks the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and Japan. Liu hopes that the two countries will jointly plan and launch cultural tourism exchange activities and turn on a new page of the friendship between Chongqing and Japan.

Nobuyuki Watanabe said that Chongqing is an important partner of Japan. He is looking forward to the resumption of direct flights between the two places soon after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the reopening of the inbound and outbound tourism market, and the exchanges and mutual visits of tourists between the two places. Furthermore, Nobuyuki Watanabe expressed his strong interests in the Window of Chongqing International Culture & Tourism and his earnest expectation of cooperation in cultural tourism exchange and publicity activities.

Other attendees of the meeting from Chongqing included heads of international cultural tourism, the center for international cultural and tourism exchanges, Chongqing Library, and Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development.