China and Japan will launch a bilateral exchange program involving about 1,500 teachers over the next three years, said Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nagasone in Beijing Sunday.

He made the remarks while attending a gathering with several Chinese students and teachers, as well as representatives of Japan living in China. It was his last stop before concluding his China visit.

According to Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kazuo Kodama, Japan would accept 1,000 Chinese teachers while sending 500 Japanese teachers to China.

As to bilateral exchanges of youth, Kodama said on Saturday that the two sides will work together to implement a youth exchange program involving about 4,000 young people this year.

Other than high-level exchanges between the two countries, people-to-people exchanges were also very important for developing bilateral relations, said Nagasone, who was in China for two days.

The two sides celebrated the "China-Japan Friendly Exchange Year of the Youth" last year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2009)