Youth dialogue can strengthen cultural bonds

Resonant drumbeats by students of Tsinghua University marked the opening ceremony of the 2025 China-ASEAN Youth Culture Week, which commenced at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing on Thursday.

Cohosted by the Center for International Cultural Communication of China International Communications Group and the International College of UIBE, the event brought together over 200 experts and young participants from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Shi Zhongjun, secretary-general of the ASEAN-China Center, said young people are acting as builders of regional connectivity. In a video message shared during the opening ceremony, he encouraged them to foster deeper mutual understanding, champion diversity and trust through dialogue, and build lasting friendships serving as the foundation for shared prosperity.

Yu Yingfu, vice-president of China International Communications Group, urged the younger generation to strengthen exchanges and build consensus under the guidance of heads-of-state diplomacy. He called on them to have a broader global vision and a heightened sense of responsibility, positioning themselves as inheritors of civilizations, practitioners of cooperation, and architects of the future, to build a community with a shared future.

Wen Jun, vice-president and deputy Party secretary of UIBE, highlighted the important role of Chinese and ASEAN youth in carrying forward the millennia-old friendship and in pioneering a new chapter of cooperation. She emphasized that by bridging cultural divides and fostering genuine connection, the friendship can be preserved and the path of cooperation sustained for the long term.

The opening ceremony also featured two panel discussions that brought together experts and ASEAN students in China for intergenerational dialogues on "youth-led ecological action under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals" and "the shared future of China-ASEAN youth". Additionally, ASEAN students from UIBE and Beijing Language and Culture University, dressed in traditional attire, presented vibrant folk dance and musical performances.

On Friday and during the weekend, the attendees took part in communication events and traditional cultural experience activities that were organized at the Communication University of China, BLCU and Peking University. It is hoped that through direct dialogue, youth of both sides can inject new energy into and strengthen cultural bonds.