2nd China-Africa future leaders' dialogue forum held amid call to deepen ties

NAIROBI, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The second edition of the China-Africa future leaders' dialogue forum was held virtually on Friday, with participants reiterating calls for enhanced friendship and cooperation across diverse fields to realize durable and mutual benefits.

Hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the event drew a diverse cast of participants ranging from policymakers, diplomats, scholars, students, and representatives of social welfare organizations.

Jiang Jiang, vice president of the CPAFFC said that China has cultivated a strong bond with African countries to realize a shared vision of improving human welfare. "We will surely write a new chapter in China-Africa solidarity and friendship in times of difficulty," said Jiang as he recalled the robust China-Africa cooperation since decades ago, ranging from China's medical aid to Africa to various landmark cooperative railway projects built in the African continent.

Jiang said that win-win cooperation between China and Africa had a bright future, given the seamless facilitation provided by the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

He urged Chinese and African youth to be on the frontline of promoting friendship, mutual exchanges, and cooperation as part of establishing a community with a shared destiny.

Ibrahima Sory Sylla, the Senegalese Ambassador to China, said that creating a platform for the youth to share experiences and best practices is key to realizing a prosperous and cohesive future for Africa and China.

According to Sylla, leveraging the energy, agility, and innovation of youth will be key to realizing key outcomes of the 8th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC held in Dakar, the capital of Senegal on November 29-30, 2021.

He stressed that Chinese and African youth should be placed at the heart of efforts to revitalize cooperation across strategic fields like culture, education, diplomacy, and rural development.

Lugazo Abubakar, a Tanzanian youth who is a doctoral student at the School of Psychology of Central China Normal University, said the dialogue forum helped chart a new path of sincere friendship between Chinese and African youth as a means to foster peace, unity, and shared prosperity.

Abubakar said that his six-year study tour in China has been transformative, inspiring him to volunteer his time and youthful energy to advance the collective good of mankind.

Lineo Kobeli, a youth from Lesotho and scholar at Beijing Normal University, said that time was ripe for the younger generation to tear down boundaries of geography, creed, and ethnicity to address common challenges facing humanity like climate change and poverty.

The dialogue was held under the theme of "contributing youth strength for the creation of a better future." Nearly 300 delegates including youth representatives from China and 35 African nations participated in the virtual forum.