The 2017 China Festival will be held in Tokyo from Oct. 21 to 22 to mark the 45th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations, organizer announced on Thursday.

The festival, in the form of a fair, will present Chinese cuisine, specialty, culture and entertainment to the Japanese people in an effort to promote communication and mutual understanding between people of the two countries.

Cheng Yonghua, Chinese ambassador to Japan and chairman of the executive committee of the 2017 China Festival, told a news conference that the festival, held at an important juncture, has a special significance, as this year marks the 45th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations and next year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

He hopes that the festival could play an exemplary and leading role and make positive contribution to promoting friendship between people of the two countries and improving bilateral relations under the new situation, Cheng said.

Yasuo Fukuda, former Japanese prime minister and chief advisor of the executive committee, said that friendship between Japan and China bears on the prosperity and stability of Asia.

He said that China is developing fast in the past 20 years and he hopes that the festival can provide a chance for the Japanese people to know the current situation in China better.

The festival, hosted by the Chinese embassy in Japan and the executive committee of the 2017 China Festival and cosponsored by a number of groups and institutions from both China and Japan, is expected to attract some 100,000 participants, according to the organizer.

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