Youth exchanges hold promise of better ties in future

Winding up his third trip to China on October 31, Toshihiro Nikai, chairman of the General Council of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was accompanied by 100 Chinese high school students paying a week-long visit to Japan. They were the first batch of 500 Chinese students invited to visit Japan.

During his visit to Japan in May 2011, then Chinese premier Wen Jiabao toured the northeastern region, which had been devastated by the powerful earthquake and tsunami two months previously. He invited 500 children from the disaster zone to South China's Hainan Island, which is known as the country's Hawaii.

Nikai, who headed the Japanese children's group in 2011, said they were warmly received in China and the downhearted young souls were rejuvenated.