○ Cooperation in science and research between China and Japan has produced quite a few talents in physics

○ With a large number of overseas students in place, China's scientific research will continue to develop rapidly 

○ There is a lot to learn from Japan, especially the down-to-earth research spirit of the young generation

Students at a class in Nagoya University Photo: VCG

At a time when Washington has cast a shadow over academic exchanges between the US and China by tightening restrictions on Chinese students and academics, concerns over "Chinese tech spies" has also emerged in Japan.

However, a recent trip to Japan by the Global Times reveals that many people do not see Chinese researchers and academics as a "threat," but rather an opportunity to bring innovation to Japan. 

More joint programs and cooperation between institutions, schools and enterprises in the two countries can be expected in the future.

In this era when China-Japan relations are improving, the two countries should further strengthen bilateral exchanges. In terms of scientific research, people from both countries are expected to fully commit to science and not be affected by politics, Seiichi Matsuo, president of Nagoya University, remarked in an interview with the Global Times. 

"Regardless of nationality or background, we should strive to benefit mankind together," said Matsuo. 

Salute to Chinese scientists

Modern academic exchanges between China and Japan can be traced back to 1877, when the government of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) set up an embassy in Japan and sent officials to conduct scientific research together with Japanese scholars. 

In the 1970s, with the normalization of China-Japan relations and the beginning of China's reform and opening-up, Japanese enterprises such as Panasonic and Nippon Steel flocked to the Chinese market, bringing with them advanced technology. To some extent, they have driven China's modernization while reaping huge rewards. 

In the decades since then, the two sides have built a solid foundation for cooperation as exchanges have deepened.

Japan has the largest number of Nobel Prize winners outside the US and Europe, with most of the winners coming from three universities: the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University and Nagoya University. 

The 2008 Nobel Prize exhibition room at Nagoya University was specially built to commemorate the Japanese winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics such as Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa, who were all taught and influenced by well-known Japanese physicist Shoichi Sakata.

In the exhibition room, a "Chinese seal" on a special manuscript was particularly impressive. In August 1964, Sakata, a science professor at the Department of Physics at Nagoya University at the time, led a Japanese delegation to attend a science conference held in Beijing, where they received the manuscript. 

The manuscript records Sakata's speech at the opening ceremony: "Scientific researchers from all around the world should be in line with the principle of equality and mutual benefit, and go against imperialism and colonialism. We should pursue real science for achieving state independence and peace in the world. The Japanese delegation offers its sincere respects to Chinese scientists."

Decades after Sakata's tribute to Chinese scientists, science and technology exchanges between the two countries continued to boom. 

One of those who has contributed to these exchanges is Yang Li. 

At the 4th Asian Chemical Congress held in Beijing in August 1991, the young Yang, who got his master's degree in chemistry from Soochow University in 1988 and dreamed to pursue higher education in Japan, presented his research results to a Japanese professor. The professor read his essay and encouraged him to earn a place in Japanese universities. 

Yang later graduated from Nagoya University and soon joined NGK Insulators in 1997, becoming the first "non-Japanese doctorate" in the company's history.

After that, Yang applied for more than 40 patents and became an expert in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. In 2003, when Shanghai Jiao Tong University was recruiting talent from all over the world, Yang decided to go back to China and fully committed himself to training a new generation of Chinese new energy researchers.

Yang is just one of a number of Chinese who benefited from frequent exchanges between China and Japan. For more than 10 years, the scientific research team led by Yang has had long-term cooperation with many Japanese enterprises such as Toyota and Hitachi Chemical.

Nagoya University President Seiichi Matsuo (right) poses with the reporter. Photo: Courtesy of Nagoya University

"After all, Japan leads the world in battery research and technology. By cooperating with these companies, we can constantly confirm whether our research keeps up with the forefront level," Yang told the Global Times.

According to Yang, cooperation between universities and enterprises starts with goal-setting, and groups on both sides communicate about their progress remotely every three months, and in person at the middle or the end of the year. 

Participants are free to talk or propose new ideas for the project, Yang said, noting that Japanese companies are not simply looking for immediate results, but rather focusing on developing next-generation battery materials and technology. 

"It's a relationship of trust that's been built over time," he concluded.

New vitality

As of December 31, 2018, there were 337,000 international students in Japan, among whom about 130,000 were from China, according to data from Japan's Justice Ministry. 

Waseda University admitted the largest number of Chinese students, reaching 5,412, the statistics show. 

Many overseas students in Japan enrolled in science and engineering majors. 

Taking Nagoya University for instance, the registered Chinese students (including those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) in 2018 counted 1,158, which is half of the total number of international students. 

Meanwhile, about 40 percent of these Chinese students major in science and engineering, the data showed. 

Even though the Japanese government does not appear to be as wary of Chinese students as the US, several Japanese executives expressed their concerns to the Global Times, saying that they are concerned that their IP rights may be infringed on. 

In this regard, Yang said that awareness of IP rights among Chinese people in Japan has improved rapidly. With all the projects that have been initiated, and lawyers from both China and Japan following-up, there has not been a dispute over the past decade. 



Hiroshi Amano, a professor from Nagoya University who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014, told the Global Times that he had no concerns about IP protection. 

Amano is advising 20 master's and doctoral students in his program, half are from China. 

He said that no matter which country a student is from, he finds it very gratifying to see them making progress together with his research team. 

Cai Wentao, 25, one of Amano's students, is in his second year pursuing his master's degree. 

Cai said that after he graduated from the Chengdu-based University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, he needed to decide where he would continue his studies, either in the US or Japan. 

What he cared most about then was the academic atmosphere at a university. Given that Asians might face discrimination in the US and there were too many restrictions, he decided that Japan was the much better choice. 

Cai was admitted to Nagoya University after spending a year and a half learning Japanese. 

He said he finds the research environment supportive, the only thing that has bothered him is the trouble he has encountered when thinking outside the box. 

"For Japanese academics, Chinese students have brought new vitality," Cai noted. 

When he arrived in Japan in 2016, Cai took a while to adjust. For instance, while mobile payments are quite common in China, cash is still mainly used in Japan. 

According to him, it could be hard for such new technology to be widely applied in Japan right away. 

On the other hand, he keeps hearing Japanese talk about China, especially when mentioning how fast things can be made and how many ideas rapidly become reality. 

"Shenzhen stands for speed in Japanese people's eyes," Cai said.

Talking about the future of Chinese students and Chinese research, Amano told the Global Times that he hopes Chinese students can apply the experiences gained from his laboratory to contribute to all mankind. 

Matsuo echoed that China is very different now compared to where it was 50 years ago as it has far more influence and responsibility.  

Japan is constantly looking at what it can learn from China as it is a leader in technology such as artificial intelligence and big data. 

Matsuo said he believes that talent coming out of China will become a powerful force for research and will have much to contribute. 

"Japan and China must depend on one another in scientific research in the future," Matsuo concluded. 

Yang told the Global Times that the experience he gained in Japan continues to be a source of inspiration. He still remains impressed that these Nobel Prize winners would give lectures to undergraduate students. 

A similar persistent spirit can be seen in Japanese scholars such as Amano. Amano works from 8 am to 10 pm in his lab every day when he is not on a business trip so that students can talk to him face to face. 

Yang is grateful for scholars like Amano, because he said he feels China has a lot to learn from Japan when it comes to scientific research. He noted that many prestigious scholars in Japan are willing to spend time at the grassroots levels to inspire young people's scientific interests and hone their talent.


Newspaper headline: Closer ties in research