Hundreds of Russian teenagers arrive in China for summer camp

Russian teenagers arrive at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2011. At the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao, 450 Russian elementary and secondary school students arrived in China on Saturday, embarking on a 12-day summer camp in China. (Xinhua/Liu Xin)

Russian teenagers are seen at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2011. At the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao, 450 Russian elementary and secondary school students arrived in China on Saturday, embarking on a 12-day summer camp in China. (Xinhua/Liu Xin)

BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A group of 450 teenagers from Russia arrived in Beijing on Saturday, kicking off their 12-day summer camp in China as guests of President Hu Jintao.

The Russian delegates, aged 12 to 16 and accompanied by their tutors and doctors, will go to famous historical sites such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, visit Beijing Olympic venues and watch a Chinese kung fu show.

They will also meet with their Chinese peers at a local school, according to the delegation's itinerary.

Hu's invitation was made during his Russia trip in 2009. The arrival of the students on Saturday is the second part of the program, which invites about 1,000 Russian teenagers to visit China in two consecutive years.

In 2010, another 500 teenagers spent their summer camp in China from July 31 to August 9.

The summer camp reciprocates Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's hosting of 1,500 Chinese students from regions devastated by a 8.0-magnitude earthquake on May 12, 2008.

The Russian delegation is headed by Valerie Marzoev, director of the "Ocean" All-Russia Children's Care Center in Vladivostok, where 945 Chinese youngsters affected by the devastating earthquake attended the program.

After the Beijing leg, the Russian teenagers will be divided into two groups and travel to coastal cities of Shanghai and Dalian.