The annual Japanese composition competition for Chinese students faces uncertainty due to worsening Sino-Japanese relations, prompting organizers to seek supporters to assist with logistics and promote participation.
The Japanese composition competition, which has been running for over 20 years and encourages Chinese students to express their thoughts on Sino-Japanese friendship, is at risk of not being held this year due to deteriorating relations between Japan and China. The event's organizer, Duan Yazhong, expressed concern that universities may increasingly restrict students from participating in the competition through their Japanese language departments, complicating the submission process. This situation is creating apprehensions about a significant decline in applicants compared to previous years, which is alarming given the event's history of fostering cross-cultural dialogue.
Since its inception in 2005, the competition has sought student essays on various themes related to Sino-Japanese exchanges, with this year's topic focused on 'Sino-Japanese exchanges in the era of social media.' With submission opening in May, the organizers fear that the ongoing geopolitical tensions might hinder engagement from students in universities across China, as many have reported difficulties in educational exchanges or activities involving the Japanese language.
In response, Duan is soliciting supporters who are interested in promoting youth exchanges, Japanese language education, and the competition itself. Potential supporters are invited to spread the word via social media and assist with preliminary judging of the essays. Duan stresses the importance of fostering private exchanges and bonds between the youth of both nations to ensure that opportunities for Chinese youth to engage with Japanese culture and language do not dwindle entirely, which could lead to significant losses for future relations between the countries.
