“When Fukuda comes, Fuku (or “fortune” in Japanese and Chinese) has arrived!”

With this humorous remark, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda began his speech at Peking University during his year-end visit to China. Fukuda then offered the audience a new way to look at the Sino-Japanese relationship. He called it a “Creative Partnership.” Beijing responded well, giving him a reception of the highest level and revealing plans for the first visit of a Chinese president to Japan since 1998.