China will never forget the long-term contributions made by many Japanese Diet members in promoting bilateral relations, said Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China, in Beijing Tuesday.
Li made the remark in a meeting with the Japanese Diet delegation including Mikio Aoki, House of Councilors secretary-general of Japanese Liberal Democratic Party, and Chikage Ogi, minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Japan.
Li welcomed the guests attending the cultural activities marking the 30th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic ties, noting the neighboring countries enjoy a long history of cultural exchanges.
This year's cultural exchanges and activities demonstrate the eagerness of the two peoples to promote Sino-Japanese friendship, and will surely deepen mutual understanding between them, as well as push the bilateral friendship towards a new stage, Li said.
Mentioning the good cooperation and exchanges between the NPC and the Japanese Diet, Li expressed his hope that the Japanese Diet will continue its endeavors for the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.
Mikio Aoki said he has been devoted to the Japan-China friendship drives, and was excited about attending the anniversary celebration activities.
Chikage Ogi said the Japanese government and diet attach great importance to the cultural exchanges between the two countries, hoping the people-to-people friendship will be strengthened through exchanges of culture, art and personnel.
She expressed her hope that cooperation in the fields of transportation, environmental protection and tourism will be promoted.
(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2002)
