On this day, 28 years ago, on August 15, 1997 (July 13, 1997, the lunar calendar), Sun Pinghua, a famous non-governmental diplomat and president of the China-Japan Friendship Association, passed away. On August 15, 1997, Comrade Sun Pinghua, a well-known non-governmental diplomat and president of the China Japan Friendship Association, died in Beijing due to ineffective medical treatment at the age of 80. Sun Pinghua was from Yingkou City, Liaoning Province. In 1939, he traveled to Japan to study. In 1940, he joined the party's peripheral organization in Tokyo, Japan, and returned to China in 1943 to engage in underground party work. Joined the Communist Party of China in 1944. He has been engaged in work with Japan under the leadership of Comrade Liao Chengzhi since 1952 and has become one of the pioneers in my country's people-to-people diplomacy with Japan. Since 1964, he has served as the chief representative of Liao Chengzhi's Office in Tokyo. After May 1972, Sun Pinghua successively served as deputy secretary-general and secretary-general of the China Japan Friendship Association, vice president of the China People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and vice president and president of the China Japan Friendship Association. In July 1972, he led the Shanghai Ballet Troupe to visit Japan and met with Prime Minister Tanaka and Foreign Minister Ohei as instructed by Premier Zhou. He did a lot of work to promote Tanaka and Ohei's early visit to China and realize the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. Sun Pinghua is a member of the fifth, sixth and seventh National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.