On October 19, 2021, the 6th China-Africa Youth Festival kicked off in Beijing. Chairman of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation Wang Jiarui, Nigerian Ambassador to China Baba Ahmad Jidda attended and addressed the opening ceremony via video link. A total of more than 100 representatives of Chinese and African youth and young African students in Beijing attended the ceremony offline. Assistant Foreign Minister Deng Li addressed the opening ceremony via video link.
Deng Li said in his speech that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Themed "reviewing the past century of the CPC, pooling the intelligence and commitment of the youth, jointly writing a new chapter of the common development of China and Africa", the festival encourages the representatives of Chinese and African youth to learn from history, deliberate the destiny of nation and the future of China-Africa relations, and shoulder the historical mission of developing China-Africa relations in the new era.
Deng Li pointed out that the youth carry the ardent hope for China-Africa friendship, and play an irreplaceable and important role in China-Africa cooperation. Many measures of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) are planned for the youth. The new session of FOCAC will be held in Senegal at the end of this year, and China and African countries will launch more new measures of cooperation that meet the evolving circumstances and respective needs. The momentum of China-Africa cooperation is growing even stronger, providing Chinese and African youth with an increasingly wider platform to put their talent to good use.
Deng Li stressed that at present, China-Africa relations are facing new situations that demand new commitment and new achievements. He hopes that Chinese and African youth will continue to be the defenders of China-Africa solidarity and the pioneers of China-Africa cooperation, keep promoting the mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and African people, and provide a strong driving force for the economic development of China and Africa and China-Africa cooperation.
China-Africa Youth Festival is a brand activity within the framework of FOCAC, which has been held annually since 2016. This event is hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organized by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. Representatives of Chinese and African youth will participate in the Youth Roundtable, visit the Museum of the CPC, high-tech enterprises and venues for Beijing Olympic Winter Games, and listen to lectures on China's foreign aids.