On June 14th, the third China-CELAC Young Political Leaders’ Forum co-hosted by the Communist Youth League Central Committee and All-China Youth Federalization and sponsored by China Youth Center for International Exchange and China Guanghua Foundation was held in Beijing. Qin Yizhi, first secretary of the CYL Central Committee, Vice-Minister Zhou Li of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Special Representative Yin Hengmin of the Chinese Government for Latin American affairs and other leaders attended the opening ceremony.
The theme of the Forum is New Trend of China-LAC Cooperation, aimed at exploring how to strengthen China-LAC comprehensive cooperative partnership under the new historic circumstances between the youth leaders of the two sides. It is also hoped that the two sides can draw on each other’s successful experience in national development and in youth work.
Nearly 200 youth representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, and China attended the Forum. The two sides conducted in-depth dialogues and exchanges on issues such as the common challenges and opportunities for sustainable development, new trend of China-LAC overall cooperation, and new driving force for youth innovation and employment.
Qin Yizhi said that in recent years, with the in-depth development of China-LAC relations, the two sides are having growing political mutual trust, and their exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, people-to-people and cultural exchanges are deepening. They have developed effective coordination in international affairs. All of these have delivered tangible benefits to people including the youth of the two sides. China and LAC countries are now readjusting their economic development models and promoting sustainable development, which offers a brand-new platform for youth of the two sides to achieve individual growth and participate in national development. The youth of China and LAC countries have been actively involved in innovation and business start-ups, offering favorable opportunities for the two sides to enhance exchanges and expand cooperation. With China-LAC overall cooperation moving forward, he expressed confidence that China-LAC cooperation will become a priority choice for youth of the two sides to draw on each other’s strength and achieve common progress.
Qin raised three suggestions over the direction of exchanges and cooperation between youth of China and LAC countries : China-LAC youth exchanges should play a positive role to enhance the role of the youth in global governance, provide more opportunities for youth of developing countries, encourage more social players to promote China-LAC cooperation to enrich China-LAC youth exchanges.
Established in 2012, China-CELAC Young Political Leaders’ Forum is a sub-forum under the framework of China-CELAC Forum. Over the previous two forums, participants of the two sides conducted in-depth thinking and had active dialogues, raising many constructive suggestions on the development of China-LAC relations. The young political leaders of China and LAC countries have also built an extensive network of friendship and cooperation.
The Forum was held in parallel with the second Future Bridge – China-CELAC Youth Leaders’ Training and Exchange Camp, which is a youth exchange programme initiated by President Xi Jinping in 2014. Through the programme, China will invite 1000 CELAC youth leaders to China for training and field trips in the following ten years.
