China's economy, facing a series of new challenges after 30 years of reform and opening up, can benefit from lessons learned in Japan, Xiao Chen, professor at the School of Economics, Peking University, said at the symposium.

"The stones of those hills may be used to polish gems," Xiao said. He said China should learn from Japan's experience in handling the appreciation of national currency and managing a bubble economy.

The two countries have also improved relations through their youth exchange program. During the 2008 China-Japan Youth Friendly Exchange Year, young people from the two countries grew into a major force for people-to-people diplomacy. Between January 2006 and April 2008, about 5,000 Chinese and Japanese young people crossed the East China Sea.

The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China has sponsored three batches of Chinese university students to visit Japanese businesses and gain a better understanding of Japanese culture and society. "Now the fourth group is under preparation," said Shuzo Ishidate, Vice Chairman of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China. "Chinese students will leave for Japan in November."

Exchanges between the Chinese and Japanese media are also important, since objective and accurate media reports can help the general public in the two countries understand each other better, said Beijing Review President Wang Gangyi. "We earnestly look forward to having a mechanism for direct contact with our Japanese counterparts," he said.

Beijing Review co-sponsored the symposium, together with People's Daily Overseas Edition, World Affairs Press, and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China.

As the symposium was held just days before the Beijing Olympics, both Chinese and Japanese attendees expressed their best wishes for a successful Games.