The year 2024 is the China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges. On November 8, the China-ASEAN "Gen Z" Youth Festival and Cultural Exchange Activity kicked off in Honghe Honi and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan province.

The event was hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association and the People's Government of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, organized by Global Times Online and the Foreign Affairs Office of Honghe, and supported by the ASEAN-China Centre, People's Government of Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County, Honghe University and Huaqiao University.

Hua Chunying, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, delivered a video speech. Wu Hailong, President of the China Public Diplomacy Association, Cai Hao, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Honghe Prefecture Committee and Vice Governor of Honghe Prefecture, Muhamad Akmal Bin Abdul Wahab, Consul General of the Consulate General of Malaysia in Kunming, and Shi Ding, Executive Editor-in-Chief of Global Times Online, delivered remarks. Diplomatic envoys, internet influencers, and student representatives from various ASEAN countries, as well as foreign journalists from 14 Asia-Pacific countries, attended the event.

In her speech, Hua said, "Young people, as a vital force for China-ASEAN relations, play a crucial role in carrying forward the two sides' longstanding friendship and promoting people-to-people connectivity." Commenting on this exchange activity between young people from China and ASEAN countries, Hua said, "I believe that all our young friends present here will bring youthful, diverse and internationalized innovative ideas to the China-ASEAN relations, infusing youthful energy into the steady progress and long-term cooperation between the two sides, as well as the building of a peaceful, tranquil, prosperous, beautiful, amicable and harmonious home in Asia."

Wu emphasized the special significance of youth to China-ASEAN people-to-people exchanges. "I believe youth are a crucial force in promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN, and they are also the future of bilateral relations."

"Events such as this are important to build a platform for youth exchanges to deepen mutual understanding and promote ASEAN-China relations," Consul General Muhamad Akmal Bin Abdul Wahab said. "Therefore, youth cultural exchanges between ASEAN and China such as this could actively build people-to-people and cultural exchanges and mutual learning among the youths."

Following the successful conclusion of the launching ceremony, attendees visited Honghe University in Mengzi. They had interactive exchanges with students, experienced local folk culture, and watched a basketball friendly between Chinese and ASEAN youth.

Chue Zin Zin Thaw, an internet influencer from Myanmar, believes that this event was crucial for the exchange and collision between different cultures. She felt honored to participate in the event, "In this event, I met international students from many countries and it was interesting to hear about the cultures of their respective countries."

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