Chinese youth delegation to promote China-Japan ties

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 ◆ Chinese youth delegation to promote China-Japan ties

A delegation of 120 young people from Chinese government departments and other walks of life left Beijing and Guangzhou on Wednesday (Oct.23) for a 23-day visit to Japan, aiming to boost China-Japan ties.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency held a luncheon for the delegation in Beijing on Tuesday (Oct.22) on behalf of the Japanese government.

Wang Baoqiang, vice-chairman of the Tianjin Youth Federation and one of the delegation's leaders, said during the luncheon that the delegation would take advantage of this visit to encourage more Japanese to learn about Chinese customs and progress.

The young people who come from Beijing, Tianjin and Guangzhou, three thriving Chinese cities, are traveling under two invitation schemes initiated by Japanese governments.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro proposed improving youth exchanges between the two countries during his visit to China in 1986.

A total of 3,000 Chinese young people have visited Japan under such schemes by the end of 2001.