Top Chinese legislator meets guests from Japan

Wu Bangguo, China's top legislator, met Friday with a delegation from Japan's Tea Ceremony Urasenke, the best known group of tea ceremony in Japan.

The delegation, invited by the Chinese Ministry of Culture, is headed by Genshitsu Sen, a grand master of Urasenke.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said person-to-person exchanges are the basis of Sino-Japanese ties and play an important role in advancing Sino-Japanese relations.

Wu spoke highly of Urasenke's long-time devotion to the Sino-Japanese people-to-people and cultural exchanges, especially exchanges relating to tea culture.

He said he hoped Urasenke would "further push forward the civil and cultural exchanges between the two countries through enhancing tea cultural exchanges."

Genshitsu Sen said Urasenke would "enhance exchanges with various Chinese social groups so as to make due contributions to the development of Japanese-Chinese relations."