Participants in the World Youth Conference for Peace in Beijing say they are inspired by the message from Chinese President Xi Jinping, which stresses the importance of global cooperation among young people.
In his message to the conference held on Tuesday, Xi said the future of peace lies with the youth. He voiced the hope that young friends from all countries will take this event as an opportunity to exchange ideas, enhance mutual understanding and build friendships.
"The [message] gave me a lot of hope and confidence. He mentioned in the [message] that peace rests upon us. We are the ones who are supposed to take the initiative to implementing all the processes that are meant to keep our world peaceful. And this means we have to work together. As he said, we should share ideas and our wisdom and our strength," said Ntsane Reginald Lepholisa, secretary general of Afro-Sino Youth Development Institute.
Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Xi said in the message that the Chinese people, together with other peoples from around the world, completely defeated fascism and secured a hard-won peace through bloody battles 80 years ago.
Xi encouraged young people to champion the vision of peace and contribute to peaceful development and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
"It is quite impossible to build a future, a bright future, without remembering our past. And I think this is the main mission of today's youth. It's first and foremost to remember the lessons of our past," said Leonid Petukhin, vice chairman of Russia-China Friendship Association.
"I think that it has been a really positive message. It's very important that the young people understand the importance of the global cooperation in order to give answers to the global challenges that we are going to face. So, this is why I think that message is very, very positive and I agree a hundred percent about the importance to reinforce the global cooperation," said Jacobo Garcia, president of the Global Youth Leadership Forum.
With the theme of "Together for Peace," the conference was co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the All-China Youth Federation.
Youth conference participants inspired by message from President Xi
Youth conference participants inspired by message from President Xi
The three astronauts of China's recently-returned Shenzhou-20 mission on Friday shared the experiences of their dramatic 204-day space mission, including detailing the emergency procedures which were implemented to bring them safely home after their return capsule was struck by space debris.
The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie -- met with the press in Beijing on Friday afternoon, marking their first public appearance since returning to Earth in November.
When detailing the emergency response mechanisms which were enacted prior to their scheduled return, the astronauts explained that upon discovering a triangular crack on the spacecraft's viewport window, they immediately took photos for documentation and transmitted them to the ground team, who swiftly activated an emergency plan to get the trio home safely.
Experienced mission commander Chen Dong explained how the crew had complete faith in their colleagues on the ground to find a solution to these unforeseen circumstances which led to their return being delayed.
"First, we must trust the ground team, who would anticipate everything and develop the safest return plan for us. Second, we must believe in ourselves; as well-trained astronauts, we have the ability to manage various unexpected failures. I believe that with the collaboration of astronauts and researchers on the ground, our space home will surely go farther, more steadily, and for a longer time," he said.
Following their extended stay in space as a result of the debris incident, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent a total 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest duration by a single group of Chinese astronauts.
During their mission, they completed multiple payload operations, conducted extensive scientific experiments, and carried out four extravehicular activities.
"Our crew worked together with the ground team in unity and coordination, completing four extravehicular activities, several payload entry and exit tasks, and a large number of scientific experiments. It was a fulfilling yet challenging mission. The path to exploring the heavens is long and arduous, but I firmly believe that China's space missions will succeed," said Chen Zhongrui, a former air force pilot who was making his first spaceflight during the mission.
"From the ground to space, from learning to application, I have deeply felt the solid progress of Chinese space endeavors and the quiet dedication of countless personnel behind the scenes. In the future, I will accomplish each mission with full commitment, living up to the trust of the motherland and the people," said fellow astronaut Wang Jie, who was also making his debut spaceflight.
After returning to Earth on Nov 14, the trio successfully completed their isolation recovery and rehabilitation and will now resume normal training following health assessments.
The crew's return, originally scheduled for Nov 5, was postponed due to safety concerns, with the astronauts later using the return capsule belonging to their successor crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission to get back to Earth. China later launched the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft which will serve the future return of the crew now aboard the Tiangong Space Station.
Shenzhou-20 astronauts share experiences after safely returning from debris incident
