Working Wonders Together

Zhang Hongrui

China-ASEAN Youth Summit helps students from across region realize their potential

On Nov. 24， 2017， the Second China-ASEAN Youth Summit opened at Peking University （PKU） in Beijing. Distinguished guests， including the Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana， Minister of the Philippine Embassy in China Ivan Frank Olea， Deputy Secretary General of the All-China Youth Federation Wu Wei and Deputy Director of the Education， Culture and Tourism Division of the ASEAN-China Center （ACC） Sun Jianhua， conducted in-depth exchanges with youth delegates from China and ASEAN during the event.

The summit was initiated by Chinese university students and ASEAN students in Beijing in 2016， and has received support from the ACC and China Report ASEAN for two consecutive years. The event has provided an opportunity for students from China and Southeast Asia to enhance interaction and foster mutual understanding of one anothers economies， societies and cultures.

Shared Dream

Young people represent the future and hopes of any country， and the summit is committed to serving as a platform for exchange of ideas between young people of China and ASEAN countries.

“I have very high expectations for the China-ASEAN Youth Summit，” said Zhai Kun， a professor at PKUs School of International Studies and executive director of the China Society for Southeast Asian Studies， who has played an active role in the event since it was first proposed. “I treat it as if its my own child and Im proud of its success. I hope the summit will make greater contribution to the development of China-ASEAN relations， as it facilitates youth exchanges between the two sides. I believe this dream will come true in the future.”

The Philippines assumed the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2017. On behalf of ASEAN member states， Ambassador Romana noted that the China-ASEAN Youth Summit is an event for intellectual exchange and idea sharing. He also said that young students from both sides are expected to shoulder their responsibilities for the cause of building a China-ASEAN community of shared future and play their role in promoting regional peace， stability and prosperity.

The year 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN， and this year China and ASEAN will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of a strategic partnership as well as the China-ASEAN Year of Innovation.

“China and ASEAN countries are friendly neighbors， and the two sides see broader scope of cooperation after the visits of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to ASEAN member states，” said Wu Wei. “In recent years our federation has achieved fruitful results in inviting and sending youth delegations from both China and ASEAN countries to visit each other. We are looking forward to making positive contributions to promoting the development of China-ASEAN relations by encouraging youth exchanges between the two sides.”

The 2017 summit made improvements on its agenda. Participants in the model conferences shared their views on topics such as the 2030 Vision of China-ASEAN Youth Partnership， the China-ASEAN Youth “Voluntourism” Alliance Plan， the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Youth Action Program， the Southeast Asia Online Learning Alliance and Trans-boundary Environmental Pollution Management， as well as Joint Development of Civil Facilities and the Building of Public Service Management Systems in the South China Sea. Professor Zhai noted that there are many issues that China and ASEAN can deal with together and discussions among young people on these topics can help the seeds of peace and friendship take root and grow over the course of the coming years.

Better Together

“Since the establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue relations in 1991， the two sides have deepened mutual political trust， achieved fruitful cooperation results and witnessed frequent cultural exchanges，” said Sun Jianhua. “China has been the largest trading partner of ASEAN for eight consecutive years， while ASEAN has become Chinas third largest trading partner for six years in a row. With some 32 million tourists traveling between the two sides each year， China and ASEAN are now each others major sources of foreign tourist arrivals as well as important tourism destinations. At present， there are a total of 2，700 flights flying between China and ASEAN countries each week. Nearly 200，000 Chinese and ASEAN students are studying in each others countries.”

So far China has set up 30 China-ASEAN education and training centers， and a China-ASEAN Maritime Silk Road Scholarship program has been launched， benefiting ASEAN students in China. At the same time， China has established 31 Confucius Institutes and 35 Confucius Classrooms in ASEAN member states， as well as Chinese culture centers in Thailand， Singapore， Laos， Cambodia and Myanmar. According to Sun， China-ASEAN relations are now the most dynamic and robust among all partnerships that exist between ASEAN and other countries. Active participation of young people is needed for the development of China-ASEAN ties， as youth exchange helps enhance mutual understanding and friendship and serves as a foundation of bilateral relations.

“The China-ASEAN Youth Summit is a great platform，” said Lao student delegate Xudalad Bounleut. “Many ASEAN students in China get together and meet new friends at this event. They also interact with Chinese delegates. For me the summit improves my understanding of China-ASEAN relations， which is very helpful to my future career.”

As the secretary-general of the summit this year， Malaysian student Tang Shi Xuan said， “The event enables students from China and Southeast Asian countries to exchange ideas and helps them get a better understanding of each others countries in terms of national development， foreign policy， culture and customs.”

Sun added that the event helps young students realize their potential.

“It is my sincere hope that with strong support from different parties， all students will fully tap into their respective talent， skill and imagination，” Sun said. “Young people are encouraged to share their views and offer suggestions at the summit， as they can contribute to a bright future of the China-ASEAN community.”