"The Day of China" was launched at the All-Russia Children's Care Center in Vladivostok on Sunday to boost exchanges between Russian and Chinese students.

"The Day of China" was kicked off amid the singing of China's national anthem by the 364 Chinese students from China's quake-hit Sichuan Province who were here for rehabilitation.

During the event, the Chinese students will perform songs, dance and show of costumes of various Chinese ethnic groups to showcase China's colorful ethnic features.

A quiz on Olympics and a simulated Olympic torch relay will also be staged to welcome the upcoming Beijing Olympics.

The Vladivostok-based "Ocean" children's center has been decorated by items with Chinese characteristics, including lanterns, Chinese knots, red capsicums, fire crackers, couplets written on red papers and self-drawn pictures of pandas.

"The Day of China" was designed to let the Russian children better understand China and the Chinese culture and boost exchanges with Chinese students, said Yang Guiren, an official with China's education ministry and head of the group.

"The China-Russia cooperation is a result of mutual trust, which is based on mutual understanding," said Yang.

At the invitation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, some 1,000 students from China's earth-affected provinces have arrived in Russia since July 17 for their three-week rehabilitation.

A devastating earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale hit China's southwest region on May 12, leaving about 70,000 people dead, 374,000 injured and 18,000 missing.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2008)