OSAKA -?The southwestern Japanese city of Nagasaki sent a youth delegation for the first time to visit China, aiming to enhance friendship on the 40th anniversary of normalizing diplomatic ties between the two countries, local authorities said on Monday. ? ?

The delegation comprising 32 junior high school students and their teachers left for Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province in southeast China, from Nagasaki Airport on Monday.

Prior to the departure, Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue made a speech at a ceremony at JR Nagasaki Station, stressing that all members of the mission should make a lot of Chinese friends to build a bridge of friendship between the people of the two countries. ? ?

On behalf of the delegates, Chihiro Honda, a student from Sakurababa Junior High School, hoped to introduce the attractiveness of Nagasaki and its unique culture as much as possible during the 6-day tour. ?

The delegation is scheduled to attend a series of events and discussions with their counterparts in Fuzhou and Shanghai.