The China-Japan Friendly Exchange Year of the Youth was created last year by Wen and Fukuda when the two met over lunch in Singapore at the Asian Summit in November. A memorandum of understanding on the youth exchange year was signed during Fukuda's China visit in December.

It also marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Peace and Friendship Treaty.

A series of youth exchange activities will be conducted over the course of the year in the fields of culture, academia, environmental protection, science and technology, media, tourism, film and television.

Chinese youth will visit Japan later in the year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 17, 2008)