OSAKA, Feb. 4-- The education office of the Chinese Consulate-General in Osaka and the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education signed an agreement on Wednesday to strengthen educational communication between students in Osaka Prefecture and students in China.

According to the agreement, the two parties will help students in Osaka Prefecture to travel to China and communicate with Chinese students at public schools in China, and help Chinese students to come to Japan and communicate with students at public schools of Osaka Prefecture, and arrange other communication activities between students in Osaka Prefecture and students in China.

"Young people are the future of the two countries. Strengthening communication between young people of China and Japan is beneficial to Sino-Japanese relationship as well as the development and prosperity of Asian-Pacific region," said Liu Yiren, Chinese consul general in Osaka.

Osaka Prefectural Board of Education is a branch of the government of Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The board supervises individual municipal school systems and directly operates public high schools in Osaka Prefecture.