Events make the voices of global youth better heard
Participants in the 6th Belt and Road Youth English Speaking Competition Global Final applaud champion Khaurisa Sarah Makhubele from South Africa in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, on Oct 21, 2024.

A total of 276 young speakers from around the world gathered on the shores of Taihu Lake in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, to make their voices heard through China Daily's flagship English speaking competitions.

The 6th Belt and Road Youth English Speaking Competition Global Final and the 29th "21st Century Cup" National English Speaking Competition Grand Final were held in Wuxi from Oct 17 to Oct 21.

The Belt and Road competition's global final attracted contestants from more than 50 countries and regions, while the "21st Century Cup" event drew finalists from among more than 600,000 young people from 34 competition zones nationwide, all eager to share China's story with the world.

The competitions covered a wide range of topics, from personal reflections on traditional culture to in-depth insights about the coexistence of different civilizations.

In the Belt and Road Youth English Speaking Competition Global Final, Khaurisa Sarah Makhubele from South Africa emerged as the champion. In the "21st Century Cup" National English Speaking Competition Grand Final, Sun Yiting from Chongqing University was crowned champion in the college category, while Wang Yuting from Nanjing University took the top honor in the youth category.

The award ceremony also included a youth conference dedicated to the Global Civilization Initiative, which offers Chinese wisdom and solutions for global governance from a cultural standpoint.

At the conference, five exceptional young individuals from China, the United States, Pakistan, Russia and Zimbabwe shared their stories and experiences in fostering cultural exchange and integration between China and other nations.
In the face of a complex and dynamic global situation, the events emphasized cross-cultural dialogues among young people from different countries.