Wang Jiarui, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (R) and Cristian Dumitrescu, Vice-President of the Senate of Romania (L), at the opening ceremerny of the Young Political Leaders Forum of China and Central and Eastern European Countries on Oct 23, 2013. Photo by Liu Xiaozhuo

The Young Political Leaders Forum of China and Central and Eastern European Countries opened in Beijing on Wednesday with the theme "From traditional friendship to closer cooperation".

The forum was hosted by the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Over two days, more than 100 young political leaders and young elites from China and 13 Central and Eastern European countries held discussions on such topics as inheritance of traditional friendship and the responsibility of youth in that process.

Wang Jiarui, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said the forum emerges as China and Central and Eastern Europe have made great progress in cooperation. He also said that youth is the hope of the development of friendship and cooperation. The forum provides a platform for young political leaders to improve understanding and strengthen ties.

He said China and Central and Eastern Europe have established a complete system of contact and cooperation with fruitful outcomes. Mutual trust is also growing.

He hopes that the young people will accept the obligation to maintain the friendship and trust between Chinaand Central and Eastern Europe, and make good use of this forum as a platform to solve problems in the process of development in their countries.

He put forward four suggestions for the young representatives: First, the young people should recognize the strategic meaning of close ties between Chinaand Central and Eastern Europe and inherit the friendship formed by history. Second, he hopes young people can promote economic cooperation to achieve mutual benefit. Third, the young people should actively participate in cultural communication. And last, he said that young people should undertake the responsibility to harmonize international relations.