On July 23rd, the "Hello, Shenyang" Youth Painting Exchange Activity between Shenyang, China and Sasebo, Japan (Shenyang Station), jointly organized by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shenyang Municipal People's Government, Shenyang People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Sasebo Municipal Government, Japan NPO Corporation Social Education Group Bellpo, opened at the Shenyang International Youth Activity Center. This event has been held by Shenyang and Sasebo annually in turn since 2019, and has become a brand project of continuous friendly exchanges between the two cities, and has been strongly supported and highly praised by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

More than 80 people from the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shenyang Municipal People's Government, the Shenyang People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Shenyang Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League, the Shenyang Municipal Bureau of Education, the Consulate-General of Japan in Shenyang, the Sasebo Municipal Government, the Japan NPO Corporation Social Education Group Bellpo, and representatives of youth from both cities attended the opening ceremony of the event. In their speeches, the Chinese and Japanese guests expressed that young people are the future and the hope of the country. They hope that the young people in the two cities, with the lofty aspirations and broad mindedness, can work together in mutual learning and become practitioners of peace, inheritors of friendship, and pioneers of cooperation. They also proposed that the two cities jointly hold a series of activities to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of friendly and cooperative relationship next year, further deepen the friendship between the two cities, and elevate the friendship to a higher level.The representatives of the youth from the two cities said in their speeches that they truly experienced the unique charm of cross-border cultural exchanges and expressed their willingness to forge deep friendship in the exchange activities, spreading youthful energy and adding vitality to the cause of China-Japan friendship.

This exchange event will last for 4 days, with the theme of "Peace, Friendship, Beauty, and Hope". Through more than 180 paintings created by young people from the two cities, it showcases their different interpretations of Chinese and Japanese culture and their beautiful aspirations for world peace and friendship.

Since the establishment of friendly and cooperative relationship in 2011, Shenyang and Sasebo have had frequent interactions at various levels and in multiple fields, engaging in rich and diverse exchanges and cooperation in areas such as youth, sports, culture, tourism, education, and health care. The successful hosting of this event will further enhance mutual understanding and friendship between young people in the two cities, cultivate successors for the friendly cause between China and Japan, and promote the continuous development of people to people friendship of Shenyang with foreign countries.