Officials: Youth diplomacy critical

BEIJING - Yuri Kobashi is currently working hard on Chinese translation lessons in preparation to enjoy more opportunities when she returns to China.

After spending three years on a master's degree at Fudan University in Shanghai, the earnest 28-year-old Japanese student has focused her thesis on the subjects of public opinion and Sino-Japanese relations.

"My days in Shanghai have thoroughly changed my understanding of China, and I really want to promote the mutual understanding between people in the two countries," she said.