Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto presented Chinese student Yan Jun with a letter of commendation Friday for his bravery in rescuing a boy from a river swollen by a typhoon.

"I jumped into the river thinking only about rescuing the boy," the 26-year-old Yan said.

"I would like you to contribute to improving relations between Japan and China," Hashimoto told Yan.

Yan, who received a similar letter from the Osaka Prefectural Police on Wednesday, was jogging alongside the Yodo River in Kita Ward on Monday when he saw the 9-year-old struggling in the swollen river.

Yan immediately jumped in to save the boy but was overwhelmed by the fierce current. He made it back to the riverbank and ran 350 meters downstream before diving in again to pull the boy ashore.