Haikou welcomes China-Arab youth forum centered on digital empowerment

The 2024 China-Arab Youth Development Forum is held on Nov 11 in Haikou, Hainan province. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

The 2024 China-Arab Youth Development Forum and China-Arab Youth Leaders Exchange Camp, themed "Empowering through digitalization, innovating for development," commenced in Haikou, Hainan, on Monday.

Over 200 young representatives from China, Arab League countries, and nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Palestine, Djibouti, and Qatar, gathered to explore the future of digital empowerment and innovative development.

Feng Fei, secretary of the Communist Party of China Hainan Provincial Committee, highlighted Hainan province's pivotal role as a key node on the Maritime Silk Road, actively integrating into the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Arab cooperation, in the opening speech. He noted collaborative achievements with partners like the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai, fostering the Global Free Trade Zone (Port) Partnership Initiative. Encouraging youth to leverage the forum as a vital platform for mutual learning, friendship cultivation and joint growth, he urged them to innovate and become proactive contributors to the China-Arab community.

Xu Xiao, president of the All-China Youth Federation, underscored the rapid progress in building the China-Arab community of shared future since the inaugural China-Arab States Summit was held in December 2022. He highlighted the pivotal role of the joint action of youth talent development in propelling the community's growth.

"The 2024 China-Arab Youth Development Forum, centered on digital empowerment and fostering innovative development, presents a significant platform for youth interaction and collaboration," Xu said, encouraging both Chinese and Arab youth to infuse innovation with digital vigor and contribute youthful dynamism to promote open cooperation.

After visiting Wenchang Aerospace Supercomputing Center on Monday and Haikou Fullsing Internet Industrial Park on Tuesday, Manar Moussa, director of infrastructure and information department of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Egypt, lauds China's cutting-edge technologies and top-notch services. She calls for collaborative efforts in digital progress to better serve Egypt's youth. Drawing on China's expertise in technological knowledge sharing, she aims to enhance the integration of digital tools for Egypt's younger demographic.