Chinese media workers on ‘good will’ visit to Japan  

中国青年媒体代表团访日 开启友好交流之旅

一支由87名中国青年媒体工作者组成的代表团10日抵达日本东京，开启为期一周的友好访问。

Tokyo (CNS) -- A delegation of 87 young Chinese media workers arrived in Japan on Sunday and started a week-long good-will visit to the country.

The relationship between China and Japan has deteriorated since Japan's illegal purchase of the Diaoyu Islands in September last year.

The delegation represents the first official group sent by China to Japan since the territorial dispute began.

This visit is the first step towards the normalization of the China-Japan relationship, said Zhang Tuosheng, a researcher at the China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies.

It is of great significance to the Sino-Japanese relationship, said Wu Hongjian, director of the International Affairs Bureau of the State Council Information Office. Wu also serves as the head of the delegation.

The press community has been playing an important role in promoting the healthy development of friendship among countries in the world, said Wu. I hope the good-will visit will contribute to the friendly exchanges and communication between China and Japan, he added.

The delegation will visit several regions, including Tokyo, Aomori and Hokkaido. Members will also conduct exchanges with counterparts in the Japanese media, including the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK) and Kyodo News Agency.