BEIJING, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The fifth China-Africa Youth Festival opened Monday in Beijing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

During the seven-day festival, 42 African youth representatives will visit enterprises and high-tech parks in Beijing and Jiangxi Province in east China, and communicate with Chinese youth delegates.

The festival has become an important platform for young people from China and African countries to deepen friendly exchanges and advance mutual learning since it was inaugurated in 2016, Wang Jiarui, chairman of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, said at the opening ceremony.

Deng Li, assistant minister of foreign affairs, encouraged young people from China and African countries to work in unity to further improve the FOCAC.

The festival is jointly held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and the Jiangxi Provincial Government.