China's Xinhua News Agency and Japan's Kyodo News Service signed an agreement here Monday, agreeing to further cooperation on news and photo exchanges.

At a meeting prior to the signing ceremony, President Tian Congming of Xinhua told Kyodo President Toyohiko Yamanouchi that he hoped the two sides could further cooperation to improve the the mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries.

Xinhua and Kyodo are the largest news agencies in their respective countries. The two first signed a cooperative memorandum 1972

In other news, Zhang Ziyi has made it on to Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people of 2005. The photo reproduced here is from a Xinhua article, but is almost certainly copied from another source.

Hu Jintao is the only other Mainland Chinese on Time's list; Chen Shui-bian and Lee Kuan Yew are the other ethnic Chinese on it.

LINKS:
Xinhua: Xinhua News agency signs cooperative agreement with Japan's Kyodo
Xinhua: Zhang Ziyi on Time 100 list
Time 100: Leaders and Revolutionaries
Time 100: Artists and Entertainers
Time 100: Heroes and Icons
Time 100: Scientists and Thinkers