HAIKOU, August 17. /TASS/. The seventh festival of exchange between young leaders of China and ASEAN member-states was held in the southern Chinese province of Hainan. According to www.hinews.cn, the event kicked off on August 12 and ran for four days.
This year the festival was held under the motto "Under the leadership of youth we will build the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road". According to Nthe publication, the event was attended by about 100 representatives of the young generation from Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and other countries. Over the years, this forum has become a platform for the exchange of views, the establishment of friendly relations, mutual understanding and contacts between the youth of the PRC and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
According to Wu Jun, the head of the East Asia Department at the China Association of Foreign Relations, "holding a festival on Hainan is very important." "The island’s achievements in the construction of a pilot free trade zone and a free port fully demonstrate the success of promoting China’s openness," he said. "The purpose of the festival is to familiarize participants with the history and characteristics of our province and, undoubtedly, strengthen friendship and establish relations between representatives of the young generation of the PRC and ASEAN," said Wu Jun.
For the first time, an exchange festival between young leaders of China and ASEAN was held in Beijing in 2013. The President of the China - ASEAN Association, Gu Xiulian, took the initiative to hold it. This youth forum is held annually in various provinces of China. This year, it was supported by the China Friendship Association with Foreign Countries, the China-ASEAN Association, and the Hainan Provincial Department of Foreign Affairs.