Chinese and foreign guests and youth representatives pose for a group photo with the hand heart gesture.

The third Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Youth Camp was held in Beijing and East China's coastal city of Qingdao, from July 15 to 22, 2018. More than 200 young people from India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia took parts in the cultural exchange activity.

The program was hosted by the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) and sponsored by the China International Youth Exchange Center (CIYEC) and the Qingdao Youth Federation. As a multilateral youth exchange program highly regarded by President Xi Jinping, it was included in the China's Work Plan for the SCO's rotating presidency for 2017-2018.

During their stay in Qingdao and Beijing, participants visited the SCO Secretariat in Beijing and investigated the well-known household appliance manufacturer Qingdao Haier, TGOOD (Qingdao), the world leader in e-House solutions. They also took in an automated terminal at Qingdao Port, the China University of Petroleum, and an entrepreneurship and innovation demonstration base of the Sino-German Ecological Park to learn more about Chinese enterprises' progress in technological innovation and participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The colorful cultural exchange activities brought everyone indelible memories. They had a taste of tai chi and Taoist culture, and discussed how to contribute young power to regional development. They shared their stories and displayed the culture of their own countries, pushing the youth camp to a new high.

The visits to Qingdao and Beijing greatly enhanced understanding and friendship among the SCO youth, and inspired them to make more efforts for regional peace and BRI development.

Youth representatives from SCO members and observer states vowed to further enhance international cooperation and fight terrorism, extremism and separatism during the SCO Youth Forum themed on "Building dreams on the Silk Road", a highlight of the 2018 SCO Youth Camp.

The Declaration of the SCO Youth Council was in response to the "Joint Address of the Heads of the SCO for Youth" issued during the 2018 SCO summit in Qingdao.