What about Japan? So far, the nation's Asian policy has been supported by the trust built between its citizens and local communities in China and South Korea, through sister city exchanges.

Looking to the future, we should promote exchanges more actively with African and Middle East countries with which the Japanese people are, for the most part, unfamiliar. However, local governments that are struggling to make ends meet have no funds to spend on new international exchange programs.

Take, for example, exchanges with Africa. Some people say that there is little interest in Africa among the Japanese public. But is that really so? So far, more than 9,000 people were dispatched to Africa as members of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. Thus, there are many young people who are willing to give a helping hand to promote exchanges with Africa.

Let's say the government allocates 5 million yen ($48,415) a year for three years to subsidize linking projects with Africa. During the three years, sister schools, sister chambers of commerce and industry, sister agricultural cooperatives and other organizations based in the local community can use the subsidies to promote exchanges using information technology. From the fourth year onward, the organizations are expected to continue exchanges on their own.

If 20 projects a year are implemented for five years, 100 local communities in Japan would have established ties with Africa. The government subsidies serve as a pump-priming measure to build infrastructure for citizen-oriented cooperation in which the participants can see each other.

What is needed is not a vast amount of money but pump-priming funds and a government policy to start and put community-based exchanges on track. Also in order to raise public awareness and interest toward developing countries, I urge the government to invest in grass-roots exchanges.

(China Daily May 27, 2008)