From July 3rd to 5th, the 9th China-ASEAN Young Leaders Exchange Festival kicked off in Yidu County and the young leaders visited Yichang City. The diplomatic envoys from 10 ASEAN countries, the officials of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the representatives of young students attended the festival. Zhang Xiaoping, Deputy Director of the East Asia Department of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Zhang Xiaomei, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee and President of the Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Raul L. Lambino, President of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding, Sittikorn Chantadansuwan, Minister Counsellor of the Thai Embassy in China, and municipal leaders including Yan Yuanyi, Tan Jianguo, Zhang Jin’an attended the opening ceremony and participated in the exchange activities.

　　Zhang Xiaomei said in her speech that the arrival of the ASEAN Youth Delegations reflects the profound friendship between the people of the two regions and injects new vitality into deepening economic and trade cooperation, youth exchanges, and cultural exchanges between the two regions.

　　In her speech, Zhang Xiaoping expressed her hoped that the young leaders could take the exchange festival as a new opportunity to have a true, multi-dimensional and panoramic view of China, deepen understanding, establish friendship, and learn from each other with Chinese youth, and contribute their youthful strength to building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

　　Yan Yuanyi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Director of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Yichang Municipal Committee, said that friendly exchange between China and ASEAN countries has a long history, and currently, Yichang is speeding up to build a model city for the protection of the Yangtze River and a world-class city. He also expressed his sincere hope that young friends will get to know more about Yichang, and to promote this city to his world and finally love it. (Reporter/Sun Xiaoling, Correspondent/Fu Shiyong)