Spring Breeze Moistening Silk Road, Dream-catcher Youth Gathering in Beijing -- Congratulations on the Grand Opening of the 2nd Silk Road & Young Dreams

In Beijing in April, the grass grows tall and birds are flying in the air. Spring is evident everywhere. To cooperate with and welcome the 2nd Belt & Road Forum for International Cooperation, the 2nd Silk Road & Young Dreams hosted by Silk Road Cities Alliance, China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development, Beijing Belt and Road Cooperative Community, and Chongyang Research Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China together with several Chinese and foreign institutions was grandly opened on April 13, 2019 at China World Summit Wing.

“Silk Road & Young Dreams” was launched in 2018 by the Silk Road Cities Alliance. The 2nd "Silk Road & Young Dreams" was strongly supported by diplomatic bodies in China, Chinese and foreign cultural institutions and partner organizations. Young friends from all over the world participated actively, including more than 300 young people from 70 countries in five continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania. This event was strongly supported by many world celebrities. Former Prime Minister of Italy Mr. D'Alema sent a congratulatory message. Former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mr. Yuriy Ivanovych Yekhanurov, former Deputy Minister of Russian Ministry of Culture Mr. Mikhail Lemontov, and President of International Academy of Ceramics UNESCO Mr. Tobien Kavasbo, Hungarian sand animation master Mr. Ferenc Cako and other guests came to attend the event to share their experience and wisdom with young people. More than 40 diplomatic envoys in China from Pakistan, Bahrain, Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria, Sri Lanka and the Maldives were present to cheer for their outstanding players. Former deputy director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office, and former ambassador of China to Sweden Mr. Lv Fengding, Secretary General of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Mr. Li Xikui, Secretary General of the China NGO Network for International Exchanges Mr. Yuan Zhibing, Honorary President of the Silk Road City Institute Mrs. Zhang Yanling, former executive vice president of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs Mr. Lu Shumin, former Chinese Ambassador to Austria Mr. Lu Yonghua, leaders of Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, Hunan Changsha Municipal Committee United Armed Forces Minister Mr. Tan Xiaoping, Hunan Taoyuan County CPC Secretary Mr. Zhou Daihui, County Governor Mr. Pang Bo, President of Beijing Theatre Arts Commentary Society Mr. Jin Fei, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Youth Daily Mr. Weng Xiang, other representatives of various circles and the youth from the Silk Road and more than 300 representatives attended this grand event.

Compared with the previous event, the Silk Road & Young Dreams of this year has three major characteristics: 

First, the contestants are more extensive and the activities are more international. The event last year had 97 contestants from 26 countries. This year, nearly 300 contestants came from 70 countries on five continents.

Second, the contents of the event are richer, which can better show the elegant demeanour of the contestants. On the basis of the music, speech and photography in the last event, three activities of sand painting creation, essay exchange and e-sports were added this year. (In order to prepare the contestants well, the e-sports competition will start in May this year, so stay tuned)

Third, the specifications of the event have been greatly improved. The exchange of papers in this event is closely related to the “Belt & Road” international cooperation project. According to the organizers, high specification international cooperation projects will be signed in this event.

In late April of this year, the 2nd Belt & Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in Beijing. The organizers of Silk Road & Young Dreams will arrange this event in mid-April to cooperate with and welcome the holding of Belt & Road Forum for International Cooperation. The Belt and Road Initiative has been proposed for nearly six years, and the cooperation has been carried out from one unit and popularized in a whole area, and both in Silk Road in the sea and the land, with fruitful results. It is foreseeable that the 2nd Belt & Road Forum for International Cooperation will push the international cooperation of the Belt and Road to a new height. This requires people along the Belt and Road, especially young people, to strengthen exchanges, increase cooperation, enhance trust, and establish "spiritual interoperability." Only when the heart connects, can we go for one purpose with joint effects, and then the “Belt and Road” initiative can be more extensive and fruitful.

The young people of the “Belt and Road” are a group of dream-seekers. The organizers lead young people to fly their dreams along the direction of “peace, prosperity, openness, green, innovation, and civilization” through activities such as speech, music, photography, sand painting, e-sports and other young people’s favorite activities, injecting new impetus into building a Belt and Road community with shared future for mankind.

The Silk Road & Young Dreams of this year highlights the theme of “Belt and Road, People-oriented”, focusing on finding real touches from specific cooperation projects and vivid examples. This theme has attracted great interest from Chinese and foreign youths, and has also attracted the active participation of large enterprises such as China Construction Bank Corporation, Bank of China, Harbin Electric International Co., Ltd. (HEI), and China National Building Materials Group Corporation (CNBM). They recommended outstanding young people emerging from the Belt and Road cooperation participate in competitions, to show the graceful bearing of new youth of Chinese state-owned enterprises. 

During the three-day event, in addition to various competitions, “The Silk Road Youth Carnival” will be held, and the Silk Road Youth Beijing Initiative will be issued to discuss the new path of youth exchange and cooperation, as well as visiting the historical sites in Beijing, and tasting the fresh tea from land of idyllic beauty.