Famous Chinese singer Yang Hongji sings at the PLA Symphony Orchestra's first performance in Japan on Friday, October 12, 2007. [Photo: cnsphoto]

A performance by the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) Symphony Orchestra was hailed by Japanese audiences in Tokyo on Friday.

China News Service reported that it was the first time for the orchestra to perform in Japan. Besides the 87 members of the symphony orchestra, famous army singers Yang Hongji, Wang Jing and Dai Yuqiang also attended the performance.

During the performance, the group played Schubert's Symphony No.8 in B minor (Unfinished), Chinese classic The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto and Japanese classical pieces.

As an important part of the activities to mark the 35th Anniversary of Normalisation of Relations Between China and Japan and the 2007 Japan-China Culture and Sports Exchange Year, the visit by the orchestra has been paid much attention by mainstream Japanese society.

4,000 audience members, including Japanese senior officials and Chinese representatives in Japan, watched the performance.

The director of the symphony orchestra, Dong Jishun, hopes that the performance can increase the Japanese people's understanding of China, especially about the PLA.

(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2007)