South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Benjamin Takpiny, Beijing china
The 8th China-Africa Youth Festival kicked off in China with aimed of enabling young people from both areas to better understand China’s efforts to modernize and yet keep alive its rich culture.
The event has invited 64 African youth delegates from 52 African countries and 28 African Journalists who have been in China for Media Exchange Program.
The participants are engaged in cultural exchange activities, such as museum tours, cultural events and sightseeing throughout the eight-day festival in Beijing and East China’s Zhejiang Province..
This year’s festival is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, and the people’s government of Zhejiang Province.
As the partnership between China and Africa embarks on a new era, many recognize the importance of this bridge built by the China-Africa Youth Festival, which promotes bilateral dialogues and people-to-people exchanges.
The China-Africa Youth Festival demonstrates China’s commitment in empowering the young to building a global community with shared future. Through the immersive experiences, the youth representatives will be able to share the stories of China-Africa connectivity and cooperation with the world.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 8th China-Africa Youth Festival took place in Jinhua, Zhejiang province on Thursday Zhu Chonglie, the Secretary of CPC party of Jinhua, expressed hope that African and Chinese youth would enhance their sense of mission and responsibility, contributing their youthful energy, unique perspectives, vitality, and innovative spirit to the cause of China-Africa modernization.
“We worked together with African friends to help each other, and embarked on a unique path of win-win cooperation”.
Zhao Xiyuan, minister-counselor of the African Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, encouraged the youth to actively engage in the cause of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and to contribute their youthful vigor to building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.
He said that China and Africa are working together to achieve modernization and build a community of high standard with a shared future.
He said that a large number of connectivity, industrial parks, agricultural demonstration zones and other cooperation projects have been launched in Africa, constantly improving people’s well-being.
“ Last year, at the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue, President Xi announced new measures such as the Initiative to support Africa’s Industrialization, the Plan to promote Africa’s Agricultural Modernization, and the China-Africa Personnel Training Cooperation Plan to firmly support Africa’s integration and modernization drive”.
He said that China and Africa need to strengthen brotherly friendship, continue to work hard, and make new and greater contributions to world peace and development.
“The baton of China-Africa friendship has been handed to you young people. I hope you will shoulder the responsibility and mission of The Times, actively participate in China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and contribute your youth to the building of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future”.
MBAMBY KEANE FROM ANGOLA – AFRICA YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE encouraged African leaders to strengthen these relationships, especially in areas in which African countries need to maximize their visions and relationships, mainly in the areas of reconstruction, technology, promoting entrepreneurship, the fight against social inequalities and more.
He said that history has it that China-Africa friendship and cooperation relations date back long before the 1980s, which led to the need for them to be more strengthened today, proof of this is the permanent presence of young Africans at these festivals.
Yang Jiayun, a Chinese Youth Representative and Vice Director of the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Center, welcomed the African youth to Jinhua, expressing confidence that the activities will continue to promote cultural exchanges.
“With frequent China-Africa exchanges, our interactions with African countries are increasing, and I have become a witness, participant, promoter during the process. I witnessed Chinese culture entering into Africa, brought Wu opera into the African classrooms, and also felt the charm of African culture” she said
In Jinhua, the African youth representatives visited various counties, cities, districts, and universities, as well as engage in dialogue sessions, field visits, and cultural experiences to gain firsthand insights into the achievements of China’s reform and opening-up, understand the practice of Chinese-style modernization in Jinhua, and experience its unique charm.
