Chinese President Xi Jinping encouraged young people in China and Japan to make contributions to a brighter future of bilateral ties in a letter replying to a young Japanese man. 

Daichi Nakashima is a recent prize-winner of the Panda Cup Japan Youth Essay Contest. The contest was jointly hosted by the People's China magazine under the China International Publishing Group, the Chinese embassy in Japan, and the Japan Science Society. 

Nakashima wrote to the Chinese leader ahead of the latter's trip to Japan for the Group of 20 summit in Osaka from June 27 to 29. 

Nakashima told Xi about how he gained a better understanding of China through the Panda Cup contest and various other activities, and expressed his willingness to attend similar activities to learn more about China. 

Xi replied that he was glad to see that by participating in essay contests and exchange activities in China, Nakashima had acquired a better understanding of China, and strengthened his bonds with Chinese friends. 

Noting that China and Japan are close neighbors separated by only a narrow strip of water, Xi said the friendship between the two countries is rooted in their people, and added that the future of the friendship between the two peoples is in the hands of the younger generation. 

Xi said that he hopes the youth of China and Japan will strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, enhance mutual understanding, develop long-lasting friendships, and contribute to creating an even brighter future for bilateral relations. 

Xi also encouraged Nakashima to continue to promote China-Japan friendship. 

Nakashima, who has been interested in Chinese culture for a long time, visited China twice by participating in the Panda Cup contest, and had a chance to experience Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing as well as Sichuan province. 

In his letter to President Xi, Nakashima said this year marks the China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year. He hoped both sides could take this opportunity to deepen cultural exchanges and mutual understanding. He also expressed his willingness to devote himself to the cause of strengthening the China-Japan friendship. 

The Panda Cup contest was first held in 2014 to promote exchanges between the youth of China and Japan, and help the youth in Japan understand China in a more objective, rational and comprehensive way. 

The Panda Cup contest has collected over 2,500 pieces of writing across Japan since it was launched six years ago. 

Its participants include working professionals, executives, journalists, civil servants as well as high school, university and college students in Japan. 

The prize-winners win the opportunity to visit China every year. They have visited Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Tianjin and many other cities in the country so far. This has deepened their understanding of China and allowed them to communicate more with the Chinese people. 

Now, the event has become an important platform for Japanese teenagers to learn about China and has attracted extensive attention in both countries.