The opening ceremony of a university alliance to promote youth diplomacy and its first council meeting were held on December 22 in Beijing.

Fu Zhenbang, Vice Chairman of the All-China Youth Federation and Secretary of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Youth League Central Committee, and Guo Yong, President of the 1st Council of Youth Diplomacy University Alliance and Deputy Party Secretary of Tsinghua University, addressed the opening ceremony, which was presided over by Dong Xia, Director of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Youth League Central Committee.

Leaders and experts of the China International Youth Exchange Center (CIYEC), the China Youth and Children Research Center, and China Youth Daily, as well as representatives of teachers and students from the universities that joined the alliance, attended the event.

Fu noted that youth diplomacy is vital to major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and underlined the importance of the alliance in promoting its practice and theoretical research as well as international communication. In addition, it enhances international friendly exchanges between youth, cultivates young global-minded talents, and boosts their participation in the global governance of youth affairs.

Fu said that alliance members should strive for their common goal of cultivating people for the Party and the nation, and work together to enlarge the alliance's influence.

Fu Zhenbang, Vice Chairman of the All-China Youth Federation, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Youth Diplomacy University Alliance on December 22 in Beijing.

Guo said that the alliance members have their distinctive features and advantages in developing youth diplomacy. He stressed that the alliance will greatly promote the sharing of experience, information and resources and leverage those varied strengths in scientific research and talent cultivation.

He also said that it will train more young talented people to speak out on the international stage and participate in global governance, and create a foundation for a think tank and talent pool for youth diplomacy in a new pattern.

Su Dapeng, Deputy Party Secretary of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Wei Hui, Deputy Party Secretary of Beijing Language and Culture University, Li Zhong, Deputy Party Secretary of the Communication University of China, and Wang Fan, Vice President of China Foreign Affairs University, gave speeches as member representatives.

Sun Jiwen, former Chinese ambassador to Gabon, and Yang Youming, former Chinese ambassador to Zambia and a member of the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also spoke at the ceremony.

The alliance's working system and work plan for 2022 were reviewed at the meeting on December 22.

Representatives of member universities and the mentor group of the alliance speak at the meeting on December 22.

The alliance was established by colleges and universities under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Youth League Central Committee. Its council is responsible for decision-making, and each member will be assigned a rotating seat.

It aims to help young people gain a better understanding of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, and encourages them to take a bigger part in international exchanges and build a talent pool for youth diplomacy.

The founding members of the alliance are 10 universities: Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing Language and Culture University, the Communication University of China, the University of International Business and Economics, China Foreign Affairs University, Shanghai International Studies University and Xi'an International Studies University.

Participants pose for a group photo during the opening ceremony on December 22.