An experience sharing meeting on overseas volunteer services for young people from China and Japan was held in Beijing on Jan 16.The event was organized by the China International Youth Exchange Center (CIYEC), the Chinese Young Volunteers Association (CYVA), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) China Office.

Addressing the meeting, Chen Peng, Deputy Director of CIYEC, said he hoped that young people from China and Japan would discuss and share practical experiences and exemplary practices in overseas volunteering. He added that young people from both countries should continue to be active participants in global development, solid leaders in promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and pragmatic promoters of China-Japan friendship and world peace, contributing more solutions to global challenges.

Takeuchi Kazuo, Chief Representative of the JICA China Office, stated in his remarks that Chinese and Japanese volunteers would learn from each other through the meeting, and help to create new opportunities for Japan-China exchanges and cooperation in the new era.

Yang Yegong, Deputy Secretary-General of the CYVA, and Sakurai Naoko, Deputy Chief Representative of the JICA China Office, introduced overseas service plans of Chinese youth volunteers and the overseas volunteer service activities of the Japan Youth Overseas Cooperation Team.

Young participants from both countries who have overseas volunteering experiences shared their stories and insights. Representatives of Chinese youth volunteers shared moving stories of serving local people through Chinese language teaching, facility maintenance, medical assistance and other services. Meanwhile, representatives of Japanese youth volunteers shared typical cases of supporting local development through Japanese language education, rural development, marketing and other initiatives.

Chinese and Japanese youth volunteers also answered questions from the audience on topics including how to adapt to cross-cultural communication, align with the development needs of recipient countries and how best to deal with homesickness.

Participants expressed their admiration for the overseas service deeds of volunteers from both countries and a willingness to continue promoting the spirit of volunteer service in their studies and wider lives, so as to fuel global development cooperation.

More than 40 youth representatives from both China and Japan, including representatives from the Embassy of Japan in China, social volunteer service organizations, university student volunteer service organizations and Japanese students studying in Beijing, attended the meeting.