Time is Right to strengthen ties

From left: Gao Anming, secretary-general of the Seventh Beijing-Tokyo Forum preparatory committee and secretary-general of China Daily News Group; Yang Bojiang, professor from the University of International Relations; Wei Jianguo, secretary-general of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges; Zhao Qizheng, head of the foreign affairs committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Akashi Yasushi, former United Nations undersecretary-general; Hiroya Masuda, former minister of internal affairs and communications of Japan; Matsumoto Kenichi, professor from Japan's Reitaku University; and representative of Japan's Genron NPO Yasushi Kudo at the news conference on Monday. Zhang Wei / China Daily