Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) poses for a photo with Japanese table tennis star Ai Fukuhara (R) and actress Noriko Sakai during a meeting at the PM's official residence in Tokyo April 5, 2007. Ai Fukuhara and Noriko Sakai are appointed as goodwill envoys of the 2007 Japan-China Cultural and Sports Exchange Year.(Xinhua Photo)

    TOKYO, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Famous Japanese table tennis player Ai Fukuhara and pop star Noriko Sakai on Thursday were named good-will ambassadors of the 2007 Japan-China Culture and Sports Exchange Year.

    Fukuhara and Sakai will take part in almost all of important activities of the exchange year, which aims to enhance understanding between Japanese and Chinese people, especially the youth of the two countries, and to boost bilateral exchanges, said officials from the Japanese executive committee of the exchange year.

    Under the theme "bringing forth a new image of Japan and the Japanese people to the new Chinese generation," Fukuhara and Sakai were selected because of their image and popularity in China, the committee said.

    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met the two good-will ambassadors in his official residence earlier in the day, encouraging them to work to fulfill their honorable mission.

    He said that he is also willing to work with the two to boost bilateral exchanges between Japan and China.

    Sakai has been popular in China and other Asian countries since late 1990s. She distributed her music CDs, hosted personal concerts and has featured in quite a few TV advertisements in China. According to a survey in 2006, Sakai tops the list of Chinese people's most favorite Japanese female stars.

    Fukuhara, fluent in Chinese, has been receiving professional training in China since her kindergarten years. In 2005, she became the first foreigner to play China's domestic table tennis tournament and was also selected "one of the eight world table tennis beauties" by an influential Chinese website.

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China, Japan open "year of cultural, sports exchange" in Beijing 

The logo of the "year of cultural and sports exchanges" activities is formed by two letters "C" and "J", the two initial letters of China and Japan. The two letters form a heart-like picture, well matching the theme slogan "expectation of heart, a new future". (Xinhua Photo)

    BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China and Japan opened the "year of cultural and sports exchanges" activities here Monday to mark the 35th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations.

    The Japanese side will organize a series of activities in China during the following week, including a "super live in Beijing" vocal concert involving Chinese and Japanese pop music stars, a Japanese film festival, and a Japanese band's tour show and a Japanese drama around China. Full story

Japanese table tennis star Ai Fukuhara (L) and actress Noriko Sakai hold a logo mark of the 2007 Japan-China Cultural and Sports Exchange Year during a news conference in Tokyo April 5, 2007. The two are appointed as goodwill envoys of the 2007 Japan-China Cultural and Sports Exchange Year. (Xinhua Photo)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) poses for a photo with Japanese table tennis star Ai Fukuhara (R) and actress Noriko Sakai during a meeting at the PM's official residence in Tokyo April 5, 2007. Ai Fukuhara and Noriko Sakai are appointed as goodwill envoys of the 2007 Japan-China Cultural and Sports Exchange Year.(Xinhua Photo)