Senior Chinese political advisor Luo Haocai met with former Japanese Prime
Minister Tsutomu Hata?in Beijing?Wednesday afternoon,
calling for further exchanges in news media between the two
countries.
Luo, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said news media
shoulders great responsibility for creating an harmonious
environment of public opinion to push the long-term and steady
development of bilateral ties.
He called for joint efforts from Chinese and Japanese news media
to dispel doubts and boost mutual understanding between the two
peoples.
Luo's remarks were echoed by Tsutomu Hata, who headed a Japanese
delegation here for activities marking a Chinese magazine's debut
in Japan.
According to a Sino-Japanese joint survey, more than 90 percent
of the nationals in the two countries knew each other via news
media, Hata said.
He hailed the publication of the Japanese version of the China
Newsweek as helpful for cultural exchanges between the two
countries.
The successful debut of the magazine in Japan proves that
Japanese people are eager to know China and its reform and
development, said Hata.
The magazine, first published in May 2007, has been distributed
in more than 25,000 bookstores, metro stations and convenient
stores in Japan.
As China's first news magazine in the Japanese journal market,
the China Newsweek covers a wide range of fields,
including politics, economy, environment, energy, culture,
education, sports, social affairs as well as China-Japan relations
and international affairs.
A reception was held in the Great Hall of People Wednesday
evening for the celebration. Some 100 people from China and Japan
attended the reception.
(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2007)
