Bangladesh-China Youth Camp 2019 opens at Yunnan University

Participants of Bangladesh-China Youth Camp 2019 at the Yunnan University. Photo: UNB
Participants of Bangladesh-China Youth Camp 2019 at the Yunnan University. Photo: UNB

Bangladesh consul general in Kunming Md Tauhedul Islam on Tuesday urged the visiting Bangladesh youths to make the best use of their time in China representing Bangladesh in the truest sense and make people-to-people relations stronger.

The Bangladeshi diplomat was addressing the formal opening ceremony of Bangladesh-China Youth Camp 2019 at the Yunnan University.

"You're Bangladesh's goodwill ambassadors to China. You're Bangladesh's true representatives," he said mentioning that Bangladesh is an important partner of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Vice president of Yunnan University Li Chenyang and attache, culture section of the Chinese embassy in Dhaka Zha Mingwei were, among others, present.

Tauhedul urged the Bangladeshi participants not to take the camp as just a pleasure trip but a study tour and learn more how Chinese society works apart from informing their Chinese friends about growing Bangladesh.

Moment of the Camp Banner Granting Ceremony during the formal launching of the youth camp. Photo: UNB
Moment of the Camp Banner Granting Ceremony during the formal launching of the youth camp. Photo: UNB

He said around 4,000 Bangladeshi students are studying in different fields in Yunnan alone while some 10,000 Bangladeshi students in China.

Li Chenyang urged the youths to play their role in promoting people-to-people relations getting closer to each other and build mutual trust, and thus jointly promote the socioeconomic development of the two countries.

There were dance and martial art performances and camp banner granting ceremony during the formal launching of the youth camp.

The participants visited Yunnan University library, joined session on "tea culture" and learned about the tradition of having tea in China.

At the session, they were shown how to make tea and serve it in a traditional Chinese cultural setting.

The participants also came to know about the Chinese flowers that can be preserved forever. Every participant made flower vase after the training session. The participants were also gifted tea bags as a token of love and friendship.

Participants of Bangladesh-China Youth Camp 2019 at the Yunnan University. Photo: UNB
Participants of Bangladesh-China Youth Camp 2019 at the Yunnan University. Photo: UNB

The two-week Bangladesh-China Youth Camp began at the Yunnan University on Monday for the third time, aiming to strengthen people-to-people contact and cultural bonding between the two countries.

A 158-member Bangladesh youth delegation is taking part in the youth camp 2019.

During Chinese president Xi Jinping's visit in 2016, he had a "fruitful" meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation agreements, including the plan to invite 600 Bangladesh youths to visit China in the next four years.

Between 2017 and 2018, there were already 300 of them who visited China under the youth camp, according to the Chinese Embassy.

Some of the previous participants studied Chinese language, and have been granted scholarships for further education in China.

On the first day, Bangladeshi youths, as part of Bangladesh-China Youth Camp 2019, have visited beautiful, green Yunnan University campus. The Yunnan University is considered as an important bridge and window for China's opening up to the Southwest regions in technology, education and culture.

They spent good times at the nearby campus lake, took part in traditional games and visited different parts of the vast campus.

The participants got introduced with students of the Yunnan University and made friendship with them.