TOKYO, Dec. 4 -- China held a culture and tourism promotion event here on Tuesday night, with both sides vowing to expand people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in tourism and other areas.

The event, hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, showcased the booming Chinese culture and the vigorous development of tourism in China. During the event, Japanese teenagers shared their experiences of visiting China and promotion videos themed "Beautiful China", the Beijing Winter Olympics and Beijing's newly completed Daxing International Airport were also shown.

Li Jinzao, Vice Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, introduced the latest changes and trends in the development of culture and tourism of China.

China and Japan are important outbound tourist destinations to each other, he said, adding that tourism exchanges have played an important role in promoting understanding and mutual trust between the two peoples and consolidating the public support of the two countries.

It is hoped that the two countries will take the opportunity of the China-Japan Cultural and Sports Exchange Promotion Year of 2020 to create a more convenient environment, improve the quality of tourism services and promote the exchange of visits by young people for study and tourism, so as to boost the balanced development of cultural and tourism exchanges, he said.

Motoo Hayashi, chairperson of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Research Commission for the Establishment of a Tourism Oriented Nation, said that cultural exchanges between Japan and China have a long history and are of irreplaceable significance to enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples.

The new development and changes in China's tourism have attracted great attention. Japan hopes to make joint efforts with China to expand cultural exchanges and cooperation in tourism and other areas, he added.

During the event, the official mascot of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Bing Dwen Dwen and mascot of the 2022 Winter Paralympics Shuey Rhon Rhon made their debut in Japan, attracting participants to take photos.