The opening ceremony of the 2023 Global Youth Conference is held on July 7 in Jinan, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2023 Global Youth Conference kicked off in Jinan, capital of Shandong province on July 7. More than 1,000 youth representatives from 85 countries and regions attended the opening ceremony.

Themed "New Era, New Civilization, New Youth and New Mission", this year's event aims to encourage youth dialogue, promote youth exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign youth to enhance understanding and build friendships.

In his speech, Yang Zhen, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), reiterated the important role that young people play in international community development, and said he expects youth to shoulder the responsibilities of the times and strengthen international exchanges.

More than 1,000 youth representatives from 85 countries and regions attend the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Lin Wu, Party secretary of Shandong, spoke about the new opportunities for Shandong's high-quality development in his speech and a "new blueprint" that Shandong province has adopted to support youth development.

"The conference has built a platform for young people from all over the world to learn from each other and to sow the seeds of hope for the friendship of peoples around the world," said Seoule Davidson Simeon, speaker of the Vanuatu Parliament.

Simeon also expressed a willingness to deepen cooperation between Vanuatu and Shandong and deepen exchanges between the two sides in humanities and other fields to better serve youth development.

Peter O'Neill, former prime minister of Papua New Guinea, said that the academic and youth exchanges between Shandong and Pacific Island countries have been lively. He also hopes to further deepen the friendship between the two sides and provide more opportunities for young people to learn and grow.

Youth representatives from around the world at the event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The conference bore witness to the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Youth Development Forum, and the launch of two international organizations, namely the Global Youth Conference and the World Youth Entrepreneurs Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance.

It also witnessed the release of the Jinan Declaration of the 2023 Global Youth Conference, and the launch of the I Want to Go to Shandong initiative.

Major activities, such as the Huanghewan International Youth Economic Forum, the World Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, Global Gen Zer Dialogue with Shandong and GYC Youth Speak will also be held during the event, which runs till July 9.

The event aims to encourage youth dialogue, promote youth exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign youth to enhance understanding and build friendships. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]