Chonqing - On February 21 and 22, the 8th China-Russia "Yangtze-Volga" Youth Forum was held online and offline, where Chinese students from Sichuan, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei provinces and Chongqing Municipality from the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China and their counterparts from 14 republics and states along the Volga River in the Russian Federation exchanged ideas on the theme of "Open Development, Youth Dreams." 

The 8th China-Russia "Yangtze-Volga" Youth Forum was held online and offline on February 21 and 22. (Photo/Foreign Affairs Office of Chongqing Municipal Government)

Student representatives from Chongqing University and Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences were invited to participate in the forum. During the forum, Chinese and Russian students shared vivid stories about the increasingly close exchanges and cooperation between Chongqing and Russia through the China-Europe Railway Express and Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia train.

Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences students participated in the 8th Sino-Russian 'Yangtze-Volga' Youth Forum. (Photo/Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences)

During the opening ceremony, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui said that the "Yangtze-Volga River" region has actively organized and participated in forum activities for many years. The efforts have played an important role in enhancing the exchanges between the youth of the two countries and consolidating the friendship between China and Russia. 

Li Hui also hopes that youth can deepen their friendship, hone their skills, grow together through the forum, and contribute their youth power to create a better future for China-Russia relations.

"In recent years, we have deepened economic, trade, and technological cooperation with our Chinese partners and established the Sino-Russian University Alliance of the Upper and Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River and the Federal District along Volga River," said Igor Komarov, the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District.

"The forum is a good opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas and to understand the cultural traditions and development achievements of the two countries," Igor Komarov added.

The 8th China-Russia Yangtze and Volga Rivers Youth Forum consist of three sub-forums, namely the digital economy, innovation and entrepreneurship, and cultural tourism sub-forums. 

The sub-forums mainly consist of speeches given by young representatives from both countries, followed by expert commentaries, to promote mutual learning between young people. 

The Chongqing youth delegation delivered a speech on "Digital Trade Promotes Cross-Border E-Commerce Development."

The Yangtze-Volga mechanism was launched in 2013. It is expected to provide a platform for young people from China and Russia to exchange ideas, deepen friendships, and contribute to the future development of the two countries.