Vice Premier hopes youth exchanges help advance ties with Japan

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong on Tuesday addressed a meeting at Peking University. [Photo: Xinhua]

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong on Tuesday expressed the expectation that youth exchanges would inject positive energy into Sino-Japanese ties.

She made the call at a friendship exchange meeting of 1,000 university students from China and Japan at Peking University.

She encouraged students to learn from history and look into the future, cherish opportunities to cultivate friendship and mutual understanding, and to cement relationships.

The meeting marks the 45th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations.

Liu said that even though ties underwent twists and turns during the 45 years, cooperation in all fields had made progress, which benefited young people a lot.

She also hoped the students would have firm belief in the two countries' peaceful co-existence and friendship for generations to come.