-Yang Dongping
Hon’ble Narayan Khaji Shrestha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs of Nepal,
Respected Counselor Xie Yu,
Ladies and gentelmen,
Hello and good morning!
I am very pleased to set foot on this magical and holy land again, to communicate and cooperate with experts, new and old friends。First of all, on behalf of the youth from various countries at the Silk Road Youth Forum, I would like to express my high respect to friends from all walks of life who have provided strong support and assistance to this event, and to extend sincere greetings to the hardworking, wise, confident, and united people of Nepal!
The Silk Road Youth Forum is an international youth exchange platform held in September 2017 in response to President Xi Jinping’s “Belt and Road” initiative. The forum adheres to the purpose of unity, friendship and progress and promotes people-to-people connections among young people along the Belt and Road. By holding annual meetings, themed forums, roundtable dialogues, Silk Road lecture halls, etc., it has carried out a series of activities with a wide range of fields, rich content and diverse forms. The youth international friendly exchange activities have become a high-end platform for dialogue and communication between Silk Road youth and government departments, business circles, and academia in relevant countries.
Over the past 10 years since the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative was implemented, from initiative to consensus, from concept to action, from vision to reality, like a seed of hope, it has gradually grown into a towering tree with lush branches and harvested a lot of achievements. The solid and heavy results have painted a new picture of connecting the world and sharing the beauty and commenness. The people of China and Nepal, especially the youth, have carried out a series of diverse and colorful cultural exchanges and interactions, and significant progress has been made in building a closer community with a shared future between China and Nepal. The friendship between the two countries, which has lasted for thousands of years, has been further consolidated and deepened, and the image of “good relatives, good friends, and good partners” is increasingly ingrained in the hearts of both countries. Among them, the Silk Road Youth Forum has also done a lot of effective work. In 2019, we held the “Silk Road Youth Forum – China Nepal Youth Cooperation Conference” with the China Nepal Media Association and other organizations in Kathmandu. Youth representatives from all walks of life conducted in-depth discussions on cultural exchanges, education, and youth development, playing a positive role and contributing important forces in enhancing understanding, expanding identity, and deepening friendship between the youth of the two countries.
China and Nepal are connected by mountains and rivers, and their peoples have known each other for generations. Especially in 2019, the leaders of the two countries successfully exchanged visits, opening up a new era of “trans-Himalayan” multi-dimensional cooperation and building a community with a shared future for mankind in the Himalayan region, and pushing the development of bilateral relations to a new historical height. Last September, Nepalese Prime Minister, Mr. Prachanda, made a friendly visit to China and reached a broad consensus on deepening traditional friendship between China and Nepal, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, and addressing international and regional issues of common concern. And 2025 is designated as the “Nepal Tourism Year”。This points the way for people-to-people and cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds.
We launched a series of activities to promote famous cities along the Silk Road, which will focus on cities along the “the Belt and Road”, deeply interpret the history, geography, culture, economic and social development of cities, show the historical context, diverse civilizations and spiritual connotation of the “the Belt and Road” from the urban perspective, tell the story of the “the Belt and Road” promoting common prosperity and development, and promote harmonious coexistence and mutual achievements of different civilizations, We will promote people from countries along the Belt and Road to visit friends, acquaintances and relatives, and provide references for people from all walks of life to integrate into the construction of the “the Belt and Road” and seize development opportunities. Nepal is known as the “closest place to paradise” and the “lost paradise on earth”, with many world cultural heritage sites, such as the ancient cities of Pokhara, Bhadgaon, and Thimi, showcasing Nepal’s long history and unique culture. It is a dream land for travelers and explorers. The “Silk Road Famous City Promotion” series of activities will actively invite the heads of relevant governments and institutions of cities along the “the Belt and Road” to publicize the characteristics and charm of cities around the city, enhance exchanges and cooperation between cities, and show the beauty of the city.
Ladies and gentlemen！
The Nepalese people often say that “a drops of water can fill a vase”, and the Chinese often say that “when everyone adds firewood, the flames will rise”, which vividly expresses the intention of China and Nepal to jointly build the “Belt and Road”, achieve win-win cooperation, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. Good wishes. Let us join hands to build the Silk Road of Youth and create a better future.
I wish China-Nepal friendship to soar as the Himalayas and last forever! I wish all experts and friends good health and success!
Thank you all!
-Speech by Yang Dongping
(At the Silk Road Youth Forum South Asia Cooperation Conference Speech)
