Chinese top legislator Li Peng met in Beijing October 25 with a delegation of Japanese young people led by Takemi Keizo, a member of the House of Councilors and vice chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Association.

　 Li said that the two countries reached an agreement on establishing friendly and cooperative partnership devoted to peace and development during Chinese President Jiang Zemin's 1998 visit to Japan.

　 He added that the two sides will continue to educate coming generations to carry forward Sino-Japanese friendship, and agreed on a plan for promoting exchanges between youngsters of the two countries.

　 The plan will energize the development of Sino-Japanese friendly relations geared to the 21st century, Li said.

　 Li, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), said he hopes that young people of the two countries will make contributions to promoting Sino-Japanese friendship and cooperation.

　 Younger generations of the two countries should cherish the hard-won Sino-Japanese friendship, Li said, adding that the visit will enable the delegation members to gain a better understanding of China, and to truly understand how Japanese militarism damaged the Chinese people as well as the Japanese people themselves.

　 He expressed the hope that younger generations will learn from the past, and prevent the tragedy from being repeated.

　 They should promote mutual understanding and trust, expand common ground, and work for shaping Sino-Japanese friendly and cooperative partnership devoted to peace and development, Li said. (Xinhua)