Hu hopes to make new friends in Japan

<p>Chinese President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Sunday that he hoped to "meet old friends, make new friends" during his upcoming visit to Japan.<br/><br/>Hu, who is scheduled to pay the visit from May 6 to 10, made the remarks during an interview with journalists from 16 Japanese media organizations stationed in Beijing.<br/><br/>"I'm looking forward to meeting with my old Japanese friends and making more new friends during the upcoming visit," he told the Japanese journalists.<br/><br/>Hu said he had a very deep impression of the enthusiasm, friendliness, diligence, wisdom, firm and indomitable spirit of the Japanese people.<br/><br/>The president said he took charge of receiving 3,000 Japanese young people who visited China in 1984, and led a 200-member youth delegation to visit Japan the following year. In 1998 he visited Japan again.<br/><br/>He also met with Japanese guests often in Beijing, including politicians, entrepreneurs, artists and others who were dedicated to promote China-Japan friendship, Hu said.<br/><br/>The Chinese president said he believed the Japanese people shared the same aspirations as the Chinese people to maintain peaceful and friendly coexistence.</p></div>