BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The "Friendship Journey from Beijing to Moscow" passed through Manchuria and arrived in Russia's Novosibirsk at 11 a.m. on 28 July. Group members will begin 40 days of interviews on Russian soil.

    More than 40 group members from China's different news organizations constitute the special "Friendship Journey from Beijing to Moscow" group.

    Yin Li, group leader and dean of the News Center of China Radio International, said "this report group will visit about 20 cities in Russia and interview locals and overseas Chinese, students and government officials as well as ordinary people.

    The aim of the interviews is to find out more about the history of China-Russia exchanges and develop new contacts, said Yin.

    Yin also said, "The report group will look at Russia's cities, natural landscape and social environment. We will show Chinese people who have never visited Russia the real, modern Russia in order to increase mutual understanding between two countries."

    The report group left Beijing's Tiananmen Square on 25 July and has already traveled about 2,600 miles. The group arrived in InnerMongolia's Manchuria on 27 July.

    According to the timetable, they will visit Novosibirsk and St. Petersburg and are scheduled to arrive in Moscow at the end of August. In total, they will cover 15,000 kilometers.

    The "Friendship Journey from Moscow to Beijing" will end on 5 September, after passing through 22 cities in China and Russia. Enditem