Peng Peiyun meets Doi Takako in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse

　　On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan, a delegation representing Japan's Social Democratic Party (SDP), led by Doi Takako, Member of Japan's House of Representatives and Head of the SDP, visited China from April 28 to 30, 2003. On April 30, ACWF President Peng Peiyun met Takako and the delegation, and had cordial and friendly talks with them.
　　Takako was first elected Member of Japan's House of Representatives in 1969, and then won 11 successive elections. In 1993, Takako was elected Speaker of the 70th House of Representatives. Her term lasted 1,131 days. She was the first, and so far only, woman in Japan to head a political party and be speaker of the House. In recent years, Takako has promoted exchanges between Japanese and Chinese women. Last year, as the major caller on behalf of Japan, Takako led 400-plus Japanese women during a visit to China. They participated in the "Meeting at the Century" in Beijing, which was held by the ACWF to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. And in February 2003, she participated in the activities to welcome China's delegation of women, led by Peng, to Japan.
　　During the meeting, Peng highly praised Takako's efforts to enhance exchanges between Chinese and Japanese women. Peng said the friendship between Chinese and Japanese women was solid, so women from both nations should develop their friendly exchanges and cooperation. She emphasized the exchanges and cooperation in the fields of women's participation in political life, the environment, education and issues related to ageing. Peng said she hoped the expansion of exchanges could enable women from both nations to make more friends, especially young friends.
　　Takako said last year's "Meeting at the Century" in Beijing was a significant event, which made a strong call for peace. In the 21st century, women from both nations should strengthen exchanges in social security, welfare, employment and education, because women could play a role in holding up half the sky. Takako also expressed concern about the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak gripping China. She said she believed Chinese, led by the government, would defeat SARS. She vowed to report back to her government about what she saw in China, and to urge her government to provide more aid to China. Tomon Mitsuko, Member of Japan's House of Representatives and Deputy Head of the SDP, said SARS was not only China's enemy, but was the world's enemy. The international community, she said, should work together to fight SARS.
　　Peng expressed gratitude for the delegation's visit and its members' concerns, during the SARS outbreak. Peng gave the delegation a detailed introduction of China's efforts to eradicate the disease. She also called for further cooperation with the international community to ensure the disease is stamped out.
　　Zhao Shaohua, Member of ACWF's Secretariat, participated in the meeting.