Xiangtan University Holds the 2nd Second Asia-Africa Youth Shaofeng Forum

Written byZhang Xiaohu, Li Kuang

Edited byXiang Runyuan

Translated by Li Wenqiang, Huang Can

Source: Office of International Exchange

On December 29,Xiangtanuniversity held the Second Asia-Africa Youth · Shaofeng Forum, bringing together 50 international student representatives from Asian and African countries including Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Mongolia, Pakistan, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. The participants gathered to carry forward the traditional friendship between Asia and Africa, promote youth cooperation and development, and share their views on the Belt and Road Initiative and their journeys of pursuing academic dreams in China.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s policy principles toward Africa featuring sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests. At the opening ceremony, responsible representatives of the Xiangtan Municipal CommitteeofCommunist Youth League and the International ExchangeSchool extended a warm welcome to the participating students from Asia and Africa. They expressed the hope that the students would pay attention to the new opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative to countries alongits routes,sharethe stories of Xiangtan and Xiangtan University through youth exchanges and people-to-people and cultural exchange activities, and present to the world the image of a China that is credible, appealing and respectable.

Chinese and international students shared their academic journeys, focusing on the sound practices and outcomes of the Belt and Road Initiative in Asian and African countries. During the sharing session, Asian and African international students delivered keynote speeches combining their insights on the Belt and Road Initiative and their study experience in China. Vietnamese student VuVanPhuongdelivered a speech titled “From the Silk Road to the Belt and Road Initiative and Then to a Global Community of Shared Future,” elaborating on the new opportunities brought by high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to Vietnam’s development and his personal academic pursuit by integrating tradition and modernity, as well as economy, culture and education.

This yearalsomarks the 130th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Mao Zedong. International students from Asian and African countries learned about the stories of Mao Zedong, read carefully the multilingual editions of selected poems of Mao Zedong, and viewedthe works and souvenirs related to Mao Zedongon the site. The international students stated that Mao Zedong Thought is a powerful spiritual driving force guiding the people of Asia and Africa in their pursuit of national independence and self-improvement. Rwandan student RwabigwiInnocentsaid that he felt greatly honored to study at a university personally initiated by Mao Zedong. He added that he would study even harder, use what he had learned to contribute to the development of his own country, actively seize the new opportunities brought by high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and play his part in promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

The Asia-Africa Youth Shaofeng Forum is a signature event created bytheInternational ExchangeSchool ofXiangtan University to support Hunan’s efforts to build itself into a highland of inland reform and opening up, while focusing on economic, trade, and people-to-people exchanges between Hunan and Africa. With red culture as its foundation, friendship between Asia and Africa as its bond, and the Huxiang spirit as its window, the forum aims to provide a platform for cross-cultural exchange among young people from China and abroad. The first forum was held in Shaoshan last year.

This forum was guided by the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League, the Municipal United Front Work Department, the Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League, and the Youth League Committeeof XiangtanUniversity , and hosted by theInternational ExchangeSchoolof Xiangtan University.