Side Events
To further implement the consensus of the 2015 FOCAC Johannesburg Summit, and to greet the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit held in September, the 3rd China-Africa Youth Festival was jointly co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) and the Sichuan Provincial Government on June 21st, 2018. CSCLF Chairman Wang Jiarui attended the opening ceremony, delivered a speech and declared the festival open. Hang Yuanxiang, Standing Vice Chairman of the CSCLF, chaired the opening ceremony. Secretary General of the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the FOCAC and Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Dai Bing made a speech, while Executive Chairman of All-China Students’ Federation Chen Jingyu and President of the Pan-African Youth Union Muyumba also addressed the opening ceremony. Over 400 people attended the opening ceremony, including representatives of Chinese and African youth, African envoys to China, representatives of African students in China, volunteers, and representatives of the Chinese and African media.
Wang Jiarui said President Xi Jinping attached great importance to the advancement of China-Africa relations. Xi Jinping stressed that China adhered to the principles of sincerity, real benefits, affinity and good faith, and the value of upholding justice while pursuing shared interests, while China would work continuously with African countries to pursue common development. It was proposed at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that China would commit itself to forging a new form of international relations with other countries, and to building a community with a shared future for mankind. No matter what changes take place in the international situation, and no matter what development stage China has entered, China will unswervingly stand with Africa and other developing countries and be a sincere friend and reliable partner of Africa.
Wang Jiarui emphasized that the future of the world lies in the younger generation. Mankind are promising only when the youth are aspiring and responsible, as they serve as a powerful and sustaining force to advance the lofty cause of peace and development for mankind. China and Africa have broad prospects of cooperation, while the younger generation are supposed to shoulder the heavy responsibility. Youth from the two sides should pass on the baton and work as a dynamic force of China-Africa cooperation. He expressed his hope that youth from China and Africa can strengthen unity and mutual trust, share weal and woe together, and cooperate fully with each other; they can pull together for common development, innovation and entrepreneurship, and jointly realize the Chinese dream, African dream and dream of youth; they can enhance exchanges and mutual learning, carry forward our traditional friendship, and make new contribution to a community with a shared future for China and Africa. As an important force for China’s people-to-people diplomacy, the CSCLF is willing to work with African non-governmental organizations and young people who are committed to China-Africa friendship to open up a new situation of China-Africa friendly cooperation in the new era.
The theme of the 3rd China-Africa Youth Festival was “Connecting the Dreams of Youth and Creating A New Era for China-Africa Relations”. We have successfully invited 105 African youth delegates, heads of youth affairs of ruling party, youth entrepreneurs, and other youth representatives from 53 African members of the FOCAC and African Union Commission to visit China, making this festival a “youth reunion” of all FOCAC members for the first time.
Secretary General of the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the FOCAC and Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Dai Bing said in his speech that holding China-Africa Youth Festivals was an important measure announced at the 2015 FOCAC Johannesburg Summit to deepen youth exchanges between China and Africa, and it enriched the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership. The China-Africa Youth Festival of this year was attended by more than 100 African youth delegates from 54 African members of the FOCAC, including Burkina Faso who had just joined the big family of the Forum not long ago, making this festival the largest and most representative one since the inception of the China-Africa Youth Festival. Dai Bing pointed out that this year was a big year for China-Africa relations and it was a Year of Africa for China’s diplomacy. The 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit will be held in September, themed “China and Africa: Toward an Even Stronger Community with a Shared Future through Win-Win Cooperation”. Leaders from China and African countries will gather in Beijing to jointly plan for the blueprint for China-Africa cooperation in the new era. We expect that strong new measures will be put forward at the FOCAC Beijing Summit to promote youth exchanges and cooperation between China and Africa. The 3rd China-Africa Youth Festival, as one of the supporting activities of the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit, will accumulate the vitality and creativity of Chinese and African youth, carry forward China-Africa traditional friendship, and facilitate China-Africa practical cooperation, thus laying a sound foundation for the success of the Summit.
Chen Jingyu, Executive Chairman of All-China Students’ Federation, extended his warm congratulations to the opening of the festival. He hoped that Chinese and African youth would sincerely forge deeper friendship, truly shoulder responsibility, devotedly carry out exchanges and resolve problems in a down-to-earth manner, while they would jointly contribute ideas and suggestions for China-Africa win-win cooperation, and constantly open up new ways for the cause of China-Africa friendship, enriching new content and adding new vitality. He said the Chinese people were now committed to realizing the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, while the African people were also committed to pursuing the African dream of alliance, self-renewal, development and rejuvenation. Dreams make youth while youth fulfill dreams. Chinese and African youth share common missions of the times and social responsibilities. The Chinese dream and African dream that connect hundreds of millions of youth from both sides encourage and complement each other, and they will surely bring a brighter future to China, to Africa and to the wider world.
President of the Pan-African Youth Union Muyumba said that China and Africa shared a common future. In more than half a century, no matter what changes took place in international situation, China and Africa had always been good friends, good partners and good brothers. China-Africa traditional friendship is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples. Sincere friendship and equal treatment constitute the core of the spirit of China-African relations that has been consolidating over the years. Currently China-African relations are at a new historical starting point. Chinese and African people are seeking common development and conducting mutually beneficial cooperation in more sectors. They are more steadfastly than any other time to work together for the dream that features development and rejuvenation. African youth hope that China can make joint efforts with Africa, and foster a comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership with equality and mutual trust based on their traditional friendship, so that they can advance China-Africa friendly cooperation and common development, fulfill the African dream, and further promote peace, stability, development and prosperity of the world.
During the eight-day festival, activities were held in Beijing and Chengdu, Sichuan province, which enabled African young delegates to gain more understanding of the 40-year achievements that China had made since its reform and opening-up, as well as outcomes of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. It also showcased the spirit of the Chinese people, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, to achieve the “two centenary goals” and realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. This festival increased exchanges between Chinese and African youth, inherited the traditional friendship between China and Africa, and consolidated the foundation of China-Africa friendship.
Before the opening ceremony, Wang Jiarui met with some African young delegates and expressed his welcome to these African delegates. He briefed on China’s tremendous achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of China in the past 40 years since its reform and opening up, and expected that China-Africa relations can achieve new development at a new historical starting point. He hoped that China would vigorously explore, for China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and relevant African organizations, new paths and patterns that focus on youth growth and social and people’s livelihood, including China-Africa youth exchanges and public welfare and charity cooperation, making positive contribution to the constantly improving China-Africa people-to-people friendship.
(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)
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